An Air India Express passenger plane from Dubai crashed outside an airport in southern India today killing 158 people when it burst into flames after overshooting the runway and ploughing into a forest.
There were only eight survivors after the Boeing 737-800, with 166 people on board including crew, appeared to have skidded off the runway in rain at Mangalore airport in Karnataka state, Air India director Anup Srivastava said.
It is not believed that any Britons were on board the plane, according to Air India's office in Mangalore.
But unconfirmed reports suggest that the Boeing 737-800 was piloted by a 53-year-old British citizen of Serbian origin who is considered highly experienced and has landed on the runway at Mangalore before. He has been named as Captain Zlatko Glusica.
Indian firefighters spray foam on the Air India plane wreckage as they try to extinguish the fire
A rescuer runs up a hill carrying a girl, believed to be a survivor. The foam-covered seven-year-old is taken to waiting medics and rushed to hospital where she's treated for severe burns
Smoke billows into the valley after the Air India plane crashed into a gorge killing all but a few of the 169 passengers on board
Rescue workers pulled out scores of burned bodies from the blackened tangle of aircraft cables, twisted metal, charred trees and mud at the crash site. Many of the dead were still strapped into their seats, their bodies burned beyond recognition.
The crash happened during heavy rains that also hampered the rescue effort.
It is believed that cloudy conditions and reduced visibility may have contributed to the incident.
The airport is located on a plateau surrounded by hills, making it difficult for the firefighters to reach the scene.
Its 'table-top' runway ends in a valley. As a result, if a plane overshoots it is likely to result in a major incident, aviation experts have said.
Air India Express is the budget arm of the loss making state-run carrier Air India, which has been fending off growing competition from private airlines. First indications are that the crash was an accident, officials say.
Television channels said the plane crashed around 6:30 a.m. (0100 GMT). TV images showed it struck a forested area. Flames were seen blazing from the wreckage as rescue workers fought to bring the fire under control.
A man who survived the Air India plane crash lies on a hospital bed in Mangalore
Parts of the charred plane can be seen sticking up from the gorge
Survivors have told how they jumped from the plane as it began to break up.
Pradeep G Kotian, 28, said: 'The flight started fine from Dubai and there was no problem en route. The pilot announced landing and we were all prepared, with our seat-belts on.
'As soon as the plane touched the runway, it started vibrating and before we could realise what was happening, we heard a loud sound and the plane broke into two pieces. Then there was smoke and fire on the plane.'
He added that he could hear the screams and shouts of people around him but said: 'Nobody could do anything.
'Luckily, I saw the opening where the plane had split into two, and I jumped out of it. I could see three others who had also jumped out from the same opening.'
Another survivor, 47-year-old Krishnan K, thanked God for his miraculous escape.
'It happened all of a sudden and I considered myself really lucky to have survived this crash. I thank God for my survival,' he said.
Mayan Kutty, 48, believes today was 'the luckiest day of his life'.
He said: 'I consider myself really lucky. As soon as I jumped out of the plane, I spoke to my wife thinking she might be worried. But she was shocked to hear the news.'
Nearby residents rushed to the scene, describing 'shocking' scenes as they pulled charred bodies from the wreckage.
Smoke rises from the plane as rescuers and onlookers crowd around the wreckage of the Air India Express plane that crashed in Mangalore, in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. There are said to be eight survivors and 158 were killed
A police officer co-ordinates rescue work as onlookers gather at the site of the crash
One witness described plumes of smoke coming from the valley after the crash.
Mohammad Haris, 42, who lives near the airport, said: 'I heard a loud bang early in the morning. Initially I couldn't understand what happened, but then I saw smoke coming out from the valley near the airport.
'Along with a few other neighbours, I rushed to the spot. It was rather difficult to reach the site because of the dense vegetation. We began pulling bodies from the wreckage and one of us informed the local authorities.'
He added: 'I have never seen anything like this before. I am shocked.'
Another local resident known only as Balakrishna, 34, said: 'It took a while to absorb what had happened. After that we did what was needed to be done.'
Rescue workers estimate the efforts could carry on well into the evening, but the chances of finding any more survivors are bleak.
Scroll down to see video report
Indian firefighters and rescue personnel hose down the site while many residents look on
Locals break down in tears as they try to help survivors at the crash site
Rescue workers search for survivors amid the wreckage of the Air India Express jet which was flying in from Dubai
C Basavanna, a regional fire officer, said: 'We arrived here at 7am after receiving an emergency call. Only 30 per cent of the rescue work has been done so far and it may carry on beyond 7pm.'
Yogish Bhat, member of legislative assembly, who rushed to the scene as soon as he heard the news, said: 'Many relatives are coming to the spot. But the bodies are so charred, it is impossible to identify them here. So we are sending them to hospitals.'
It was India's first major crash in more than a decade, which has seen a boom in private carriers amid growing demand from India's middle class.
A series of near misses at major airports, including Delhi and Mumbai, have sparked debate about how India's creaking infrastructure was failing to keep pace with an economic boom.
One television channel showed a fireman carrying what seemed to be the remains of a child. Charred bodies lay in the forested terrain.
'The flight had already landed. There was slight rain. The flight skidded off,' witness Mohiuddin Bava told CNN-IBN channel. 'After that it caught fire. Villagers, everyone there, came to rescue.'
An Air India Express 737-800 similar to the one which crashed today in one of the worst air accidents in India in years
Air India director Anup Srivastava said in a statement today: 'Air India Express regrets to announce that a B737-800 aircraft operating as flight IX-812 from Dubai to Mangalore was involved in an accident early this morning.
'The accident occurred after the aircraft landed at Mangalore airport and overshot the runway. We are confirming the number of casualties.
'We have opened helplines and are making arrangements for rescue. As per our information, the airport has been shut. We are extending our support to emergency services, relatives and investigation agencies.'
The crash is believed to be the worst in India since the November 1996 mid-air collision between a Saudi airliner and a Kazakh cargo plane near New Delhi that killed 349 people.
The last major crash in India was in July, 2000, when an Alliance Air Boeing 737-200 crashed into a residential area during a second landing attempt in the eastern city of Patna, killing at least 50 people.
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