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Rescue personnel work at the scene of a plane crash in Mangalore May 22, 2010. [Xinhua]

At least 159 people were killed when a state-run Air India Express aircraft, with 166 people on board, overshot a runway during landing and crashed near Mangalore airport in the southern Indian state of Karnataka early Saturday morning, a government Minister said.

"The crash happened while landing and the aircraft immediately caught fire. At least 159 passengers have died in the crash," V.S. Acharya, home minister of southern Indian state of Karnataka, told the media.

Anup Srivastava, Director of Air India, confirmed there were 160 passengers and six crew members on the plane.

About 159 people were killed and seven survived in the crash, said Indian officials.

The Air India official said the Russian pilot of the doomed Air India Boeing jet tried to abort landing when the plane overshot runway and crashed Saturday in Mangalore in southern India.

He said a probe team is being dispatched to Mangalore from Mumbai to seek more details of the crash.

The crash happened at 06:30 a.m. when the Air India Express, a budget airliner of the state-run carrier, carrying 166 people, including six crew members, from Dubai of the United Arab Emirates, attempted to land at Mangalore airport but overshot the runway and broke into pieces, causing a huge fire.

The local TV channels showed footage of the plane, a Boeing 737- 800, lying on its belly and flames coming out of the crash site as firemen were trying to douse the fire and rescue some charred bodies, with help from local police.

The entire area around Kenjar village near the crash site and the airport was cordoned off.

Senior police officials said that rescue and relief operations are on and some people have been admitted to hospitals.

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