A passenger plane has skidded off the runway at an Istanbul airport, splitting into three pieces, Turkish media have reported.

Iran Press/Middle East: The Pegasus Airlines plane was arriving from Turkey's Aegean province of Izmir at Sabiha Gokcen International Airport on Wednesday when it skidded off the runway during landing, according to Turkey’s Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Cahit Turhan.

Television footage showed the plane separated from its fuselage after it burst into flames following the crash. Several firefighters and paramedics were dispatched to the area, Anadolu reported.

According to Turhan, there are no fatalities among 177 passengers on board the plane but Turkish media have reported that 52 people were injured in the incident and taken to hospital and one is announced dead.  

"Our teams are currently evacuating the passengers. There are no fatalities so far, only injured ones," Turhan said.

Prosecutors in capital Ankara launched an investigation into the incident. The airport has been temporarily closed to air traffic.

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