Reports: Plane skids off runway in Japan; about 20 injured

Tokyo, Apr 14: News reports say an Asiana Airlines plane skidded off a runway after landing in western Japan and about 20 passengers received minor injuries.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK said the accident today forced the closure of Hiroshima airport.

It said the Airbus 320 plane was carrying 74 passengers and seven crewmembers from Seoul, South Korea.

It said they were evacuated using escape chutes, and no was seriously injured.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known.

Reports said the airport informed fire officials that part of the aircraft touched the runway during the landing, causing some sparks.

No other details were immediately available.

An Asiana Airlines flight crashed two years ago as it approached San Francisco's airport in an accident that killed three teenagers and injured nearly 200 others.

AP