An American Airlines Boeing 737 overshot the runway while landing in driving rain at the international airport in Kingston, Jamaica last night, but the company said there were no fatalities or serious injuries.

The Jamaica Observer newspaper reported 40 injured passengers but did not give details about their condition. CNN said four of the passengers were in serious condition.

"The injured passengers have been taken to the Kingston Public Hospital," Jamaican Information Minister Daryl Vaz told the Jamaica Observer. "There are no reports of fatalities."

The plane crashed and broke up into two or three pieces after landing at 10 pm local time and overrunning the runway, eyewitnesses said.

American Airlines said in a statement the flight originated in Washington DC and stopped in Miami.

There were 148 passengers and six crew on board. The company would not speculate as to possible causes of the accident and said it would make a fuller statement later on Wednesday.

The Jamaica incident is the second runway mishap for American this month. On Dec. 13, the wing of American MD-82 struck the runway in Charlotte, North Carolina, while landing, causing damage to the plane. No one was hurt.