Passenger plane crashes on take off in northern Mexico

Rescue workers and firefighters are seen at the site where an Aeromexico airliner suffered an ‘accident’ in a field near the airport of Durango, Mexico, Tuesday, July 31, 2018. AP

DURANGO, Mexico – Dozens of people were injured as an airliner crashed on takeoff during a heavy hailstorm in northern Mexico, engulfing the plane in flames, the airline and passengers said Tuesday.

Passengers said there had been “a strange movement” on takeoff and “that was when the accident happened,” Durango Governor Jose Rosas told the Milenio television channel.

Dozens of lightly injured passengers left the plane, which was engulfed in gray smoke in a field. Witnesses said there were “about 80 injured.”

The plane carrying 97 passengers and four crew heading from Durango to the capital Mexico City, “crashed on take off” around 4:00 pm (2100 GMT), the country’s Transport Minister Gerardo Ruiz Esparza said on Twitter.

Emergency services, the army and the Red Cross were on the scene.

Aeromexico said it was “working to verify the information and gather details.”

The first images of the crash site shared on social and Mexican media showed a plane partially immersed in flames.

“I pray that the crew and all the passengers are OK,” said Mexico President Enrique Pena Nieto. /cbb