A WestJet flight from Toronto made a hard landing in St. Maarten in the Caribbean on Sunday afternoon, with slides activated to evacuate the plane.<\/p>\n
Passengers and crew managed to slide down safely and were transported to the island airport\u2019s terminal, Calgary-based WestJet said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmergency services responded immediately, deploying foam as a precaution,\u201d WestJet said. \u201cAll guests are accounted for and there are no reported injuries.\u201d<\/p>\n
The carrier operated a Boeing 737-800 jet, landing at Princess Juliana International Airport. WestJet took delivery of the jet in 2009, according to Airfleets.net. <\/p>\n
The plane, which has a seating capacity designed for more than 170 travellers, was almost full. WestJet said there were 163 people on board. <\/p>\n
The airport said in a statement: \u201cOut of an abundance of caution, three individuals were taken for medical evaluation. There was no fire; however, contact with the runway caused damage to the aircraft\u2019s right wing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Video posted on X showed travellers taking turns going down the slides and then walking onto a grassy area next to the runway. Other footage indicated that part of the right landing gear appeared to collapse after hitting the runway.<\/p>\n
A passenger posted a Facebook video looking out a window with the right wing in view, and as the camera abruptly tilted downward upon the rough landing, there were sounds of \u201cooh\u201d in the cabin, but no screaming. <\/p>\n
During livestreaming on Sunday night from the airport, emergency vehicles continued to be stationed next to the aircraft several hours after the landing, and white foam from earlier in the day had dissipated on the ground.<\/p>\n
\nPrime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina Issues Statement on Incident at Princess Juliana International Airport<\/p>\n
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