An Air India Express plane leaves the runway in Calicut and leaves several dead.

At least 17 people died and 123 were injured, 15 of them seriously, after an Air India Express plane slid off the runway at Calicut International Airport on Friday, police confirmed in their first official report. Among the dead are the two pilots of the aircraft.

In a statement to CNN News 18, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the plane landed in heavy rain around 7:40p local time and after landing continued down the runway and fell into the valley and broke in two.

The Air India Express flight, a Boeing 737, had 174 passengers on board and six crew members, according to a statement sent to CNN by the Ministry of Aviation.

“Air India Express flight IX 1344 operated by a B737 aircraft from Dubai arrived at Calicut airstrip in Kozhikode at 19:41 hours tonight. No fires were reported at the time of landing. There are 174 passengers, 10 infants, 2 pilots and 5 cabin crew on board the aircraft. According to initial reports, rescue operations are underway and passengers are being transferred to the hospital for medical care,” the statement said.

By CNN