<p><br /> Around 160 people are feared dead in an Air India plane crash at an airport in southern India.<br /> </p><p><br /> Home minister of the state of Karnataka Dr V S Acharya said there may be a few survivors after a Boeing 737 from Dubai overshot the runway at Mangalore and crashed.<br /> </p><p><br /> The plane was carrying 169 people on board when it crashed at 6.30am local time.<br /> </p><p><br /> The Foreign Office says it is urgently investigating whether there were any Britons on board.<br /> </p><p><br /> Heavy rains lashing the coastal city were making rescue efforts difficult and it is believed the cloudy conditions and reduced visibility may have contributed to the incident.<br /> </p><p><br /> Television reports said India's Civil Aviation minister Dr Praful Patel was on his way to the city from New Delhi.<br /> </p><p><br /> Dr Acharya said: "There were a total of 169 people on board and just a handful have survived. Rescue teams are at the site and fire-fighters are trying to extinguish the flames from the aircraft."<br /> </p><p><br /> He told a news channel that around six to seven people were taken to a nearby hospital.<br /> </p>
