On Saturday, a Boeing 737 of Continental Airlines crashed at the Denver International Airport. According to the passengers, the plane was about to take off the runway, when it dropped and crashed in a rift. The plane caught fire and the passengers managed to run away by using the emergency slides.  Authorities stated that 36 people got injured due to the accident.

The plane was departing Denver at 6:18 and was heading to Houston, Texas. Passengers reported that the aircraft raised its nose up, stalled and after that it suddenly dropped and crashed.  Some of the passengers said that they had seen an explosion and fire on the right wing of the plane, previous to its stall.

Manager of aviation at the Denver International Airport, Kim Day, said that it is premature to determine the cause of the crash. Mary Clark, spokeswoman at Continental Airlines, reported that the aircraft was carrying 107 passengers and 5 crew members. Weather in Denver was cold, but it hadn’t snowed prior to the accident.

Firefighters immediately showed up and put out the fire. They also discovered that the right wing was severely damaged due to the fire and that the luggage compartments melted onto the seats, as Denver Fire Chief, Patrick Hynes stated.

The 36 passengers which got injured have bruises, broken bones and head injuries.

The accident caused delays in Denver and other cities. The Federal Aviation Administration said that departing flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Denver International Airport had 90 minutes delays.