Plane lands on its nose in New York

 

Ten people were left with minor injuries after a plane's nose wheel collapsed when it landed at New York's LaGuardia Airport, officials say.

Six of the casualties were taken to hospital after Southwest Airlines Flight 345 skidded off the runway, said airport general manager Tom Bosco.

Emergency vehicles surrounded the Boeing 737 from Nashville, which had 143 passengers and six crew on board.

The airport was shut temporarily, but later opened.

Passengers said it had been a rough touchdown.

"It was just a bang and a bounce and then just a slam on the brakes and then it was a skidding feeling," Kathy Boles told CNN.

"You could tell they were trying to stop the plane. It was very clear as soon as we went down that something was really wrong."

Four people reportedly suffered anxiety attacks, according to the Associated Press news agency.

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines said in a statement: "All customers have been deplaned and transferred to the terminal. Southwest is cooperating with local authorities."