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Aircraft lands in lagoon after overshooting runway

An aircraft came down in a lagoon off Chuuk International airport in Micronesia after overshooting the runway.

Images circulating online showed the Air Niugini aircraft, from Papua New Guinea, sitting in shallow water just off the coast of the Pacific island.

None of the 35 passengers and 12 crew on board the Boeing 737-800 suffered serious injuries.

The cause of the crash is unclear, but investigations are due to begin soon, the BBC reported.

The aircraft was flying from the island of Pohnpei in Micronesia to Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, stopping at Micronesia’s Weno island on the way.

“The plane crashed in the lagoon, about 160 yards away from the runway,” Chuuk airport manager Jimmy Emilio told the BBC.

“Right now we don’t really know what happened. Investigations will start earliest tomorrow, but [for now], operations are starting again as usual in the airport.”

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