London: A British Airways plane crash-landed short of a runway at London’s Heathrow Airport today, causing minor injuries to 13 people and delays and cancellations of several flights.

The incident happened at 1242 GMT (1812 IST), as Prime Minister Gordon Brown was due to leave for China and India. His flight was also slightly delayed.

Passengers escaped down the emergency chutes after BA38 from Beijing made an emergency landing. Eyewitnesses said the plane’s wheels collapsed and doors were flown open when it crash-landed.

Thirteen people, including four women have been taken to nearby Hillingdon Hospital. Four of those admitted are BA crew members, but the pilot is not thought to be among them, the BBC reported.

An airport worker told the BBC the pilot on the Boeing 777, which was carrying 136 passengers and 16 crew, had said he had lost all power, and had been forced to glide the plane into land.

BA refused to comment on the report and said it would not speculate on the cause of the crash. Police said the incident was not terror-related. Several short-haul and some long-haul flights from Heathrow have been cancelled and some others delayed.