Two people were injured in a plane crash at Birmingham airport in central England on Friday, according to West Midlands Police and airport officials.

The crash involved a two-seater private Cessna aircraft, which police said caught fire after having had a "hard landing."

One of the passengers was seriously injured and was airlifted to hospital. The second suffered back pain and flash burns and received medical attention.

Police said the plane was carrying human organs for transplant which had been rescued and taken under police escort to their destination.

The airport's website said it was "currently closed and not likely to reopen" Friday evening, adding that authorities were looking into the cause of the plane crash.

Author: Gabriel Borrud (Reuters, dpa)
Editor: Rob Turner