Kochi, Aug 29 (IANS) Two people were injured when a Gulf Air flight from Bahrain with 137 passengers on board skidded off the runway just after landing at the Kochi airport early Monday, officials said.

Cochin International Airport Limited chief V.J. Kurian said heavy rains and winds caused the accident.

An airport official said: "It was around 3.50 a.m. that the flight landed, but soon skidded outside the runway and hit the mud track after moving almost 700 metres. The nose wheel came off and the front portion looks as if it has broken off."

"Some passengers had to come out through the emergency exit," said a passenger, who was on the flight. Most of the passengers were from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Sources said that two passengers, who came out through the emergency exit, suffered minor injuries and have been moved to a hospital near the airport.

A special aircraft was on its way from Mumbai to remove the damaged aircraft. "Two cranes have already arrived and a bigger crane is coming from the Cochin Shipyard. We have also got wooden sleepers from the railways," said Kurian.

The airport has been closed for operations for the time being. According to Kurian, the plane is now lying 31 metres away from the runway.

"At the moment, 2,050 metres of runway has been cleared. Right now, small aircraft can land. Only by midnight would the entire 3,100 metre runway be cleared and full operations resume.

"Twelve flights have been delayed and this includes three international flights which were supposed to take off after the landing of this Gulf Air flight. Four incoming international flights have been diverted to Thiruvananthapuram and another one to Bangalore," said Kurian.

"A DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) team is expected to arrive from Chennai later in the day to conduct a detailed inquiry," Kurian added.