Boeing 737 from Gitmo skids off runway, ends up in Florida's St Johns river

Over 140 passengers and crew had a narrow escape after a Boeing 737 charter plane, travelling from Cuba to Florida, skidded off the runway and ended up in the St Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday.

The injured people were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. No reports of fatal injuries have been reported, said the Jacksonville Police. The Boeing aircraft bore the logo of Miami Air International.

Cheryl Bormann, a passenger, told CNN that the flight had made a "really hard landing" amid thunder and lightning. "We came down, the plane literally hit the ground and bounced, it was clear the pilot did not have total control of the plane, it bounced again," she said.

The incident took place approximately at 9.40 pm (local time) on Saturday when the Boeing aircraft, carrying 136 passengers and seven crew members, was arriving from Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. The aircraft was scheduled to land at Jacksonville Naval Complex.

The Jacksonville Police tweeted that the aircraft was not submerged and that the Marine unit was called for help to assist in the rescue operations. The Navy security and emergency response teams are at the scene and monitoring the situation.