Passengers unscathed after plane breaks up

The Boeing 737-800 apparently overshot the 7,400ft runway at Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana in rainy weather. It barely missed a 200ft ravine that could have resulted in dozens of fatalities.

"We are very, very grateful that more people were not injured," said president Bharrat Jagdeo as authorities closed the airport, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded and delaying dozens of flights.

Authorities struggled at first to remove passengers without adequate field lights and other emergency equipment. The extent of the injuries was not immediately clear.

Geeta Ramsingh, 41, of Philadelphia, said passengers had just started to applaud the touchdown "when it turned to screams". She pointed to bruises on her knees, caused when she hopped on to the wing and then on to the dirt road outside the runway fence.

"I am upset that no-one came to rescue us in the dark, but a taxi driver appeared from nowhere and charged me $20 to take me to the terminal. I had to pay, but in times of emergencies, you don't charge people for a ride," she said, sitting on a chair in the arrival area surrounded by relatives. She was returning to her native country for only the second time in 30 years.

The plane had left New York and made a stop in Trinidad before landing in Guyana. No further details were available.