AN Air India Express plane with 191 people on board has crashed at an airport in the southern state of Kerala, officials say.

The aircraft, en route from Dubai, skidded off the runway and broke in two at Calicut airport upon landing, India’s aviation authority said.

Rescue operations are underway, with emergency services at the scene.

At least seventeen people, including the pilot, have died. H

The airline said there were 184 passengers – including 10 children and seven crew members, of which two were pilots – onboard flight IX-1344 when it crashed at Calicut, also known as Kozhikode.

The incident happened at around 19:00 local time (14:30 BST) amid heavy rainfall in the region.