Mangalore. At least 158 people died in a plane crash at Mangalore, India.

A Boeing 737-800 skidded of the runway during the landing on the airport of Mangalore. Eyewitnesses the plane got off the runway, rammed a wall and ended up in a Forrest.

Eight passengers survived the crash. Director of personnel of Air India Anjup Shrivasta said at a press conference in Mumbai that all the survivors were brought to hospitals in Mangalore.

All passengers of the Air India’s 737 have the Indian nationality, they left from Dubai where a great number of Indians work in the building sector.

The accident occurred around 06:30 am local time. The cause of the crash is still unclear. At time of the accident it was raining.

Directly after the crash the plane caught fire, eyewitnesses from a nearby town, firemen and ambulance personnel hurried into action to help the survivors.

“The plane broke in two halves, I jumped from the plane after the crash. I saw two other people that also came out” this was said by one of the survivors to the tv-station TV9,

“I heard a sound as the exploding of a tyre, I tried to make my way forward to get away, but I saw that there was a fire blocking the escape rout. I went back to the rear where I jumped out.

The Indian minister of Aviation is on his way from Mubai by helicopter, the airport will remain closed for now, The cause of the crash is yet unknown.