Birds cause Ryanair emergency landing

A Ryanair flight made an emergency landing at Rome's Ciampino airport today after hitting a flock of birds, some of which entered the engines, the airline said.

Passengers were evacuated via escape chutes from the plane which a Reuters photographer later saw at the end of the runway with one of its engines resting on the tarmac. Its nose cone and wings appeared to be streaked with red.

All 166 passengers and 6 crew on the flight to Rome from Frankfurt were reported safe.

"Ryanair flight FR4102 from Frankfurt (Hahn) to Rome (Ciampino) experienced multiple collisions with birds in both engines during the landing," the airline said in a statement.

"Ryanair technicians are inspecting the plane and its engines to check for damage from the incident," it added.

All flights from the airport, Rome's second largest and home to several no-frills airlines, were suspended and long lines of passengers with luggage formed outside the terminal.