US plane skids off taxiway, 8 injured

Washington, Dec 16: Eight people suffered minor injuries when a Southwest Airlines flight skidded off a taxiway and into a ditch shortly after arriving at Nashville International Airport, fire officials and the carrier said.

There were no major injuries and the eight transported to a nearby medical center had "mostly bumps and bruises," Nashville Fire Department said in a tweet yesterday.

The plane was carrying 133 passengers and five crew, Southwest Airlines said.

Photos on social media showed the plane lying in a grass ditch, its nose on the ground and at least one emergency slide deployed.

"At approximately 5:20 pm local time, Southwest Airlines Flight #31 from Houston Hobby Airport to Nashville International Airport exited the taxiway shortly after arriving into Nashville, as the airplane was approaching the arrival gate," the airline said in a statement.

AFP