Lion jetliner overshoots runway and crashes into the sea in Bali, Indonesia
AP
Bali Police Chief Arif Wahyunadi told local TV One that all of the passengers and crew were evacuated from the plane and taken into the airport terminal for treatment.
Hospital officials and paramedics said at least seven passengers were taken to Sanglah hospital with head wounds and broken bones. Many passengers arrived with wet clothes and bruises.
The Transportation Ministry's director general of aviation, Harry Bakti Gumay, said the plane overshot the runway and fell into the sea from a height of about 50 meters (55 yards). The cause of the accident was unclear, and Gumay said an investigation was under way.
"The aircraft was in landing position when suddenly I saw it getting closer to the sea, and finally it hit the water," Dewi, a passenger who sustained head wounds in the crash, told The Associated Press. "All of the passengers were screaming in panic in fear they would drown. I left behind my belongings and went to an emergency door. I got out of the plane and swam before rescuers jumped in to help me."
Wahyunadi said the plane originated from Bandung, the capital of West Java province, and was landing in Bali.
A photo on TV One showed the plane with a large crack in its body sitting on top of the water.
Lion Air is a low-cost carrier that holds about a 45 percent market share in Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago that's seeing a boom in both economic growth and air travel.
Lion inked a $24 billion deal last month to buy 234 Airbus planes, the biggest order ever for the French aircraft maker. It also gave Boeing its largest-ever order when it finalized a deal for 230 planes last year. The planes will be delivered from 2014 through 2026.
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