Air safety authorities in Japan are investigating how a South Korean Asiana Airlines plane skidded off a runway on landing at Hiroshima airport.

The 74 passengers and seven crew members used emergency chutes to evacuate the Airbus 320 in the incident late on Tuesday.

Local media reported that at least 20 people had minor injuries.

Transport ministry officials said a plane wheel may have clipped a radio facility near the runway on landing.

The plane skidded before coming to rest on grass beside the runway

The structure, known as the localiser, helps aircraft find the landing strip. A fragment was found on the plane's left wheel, Japan's national broadcaster NHK reported.

Images from the scene showed apparent damage to the 6m (18ft) tower, with mangled metal torn down.

An aviation safety official told AFP news agency that the left side of the plane's tail was damaged and the country's transport safety board was investigating.

(Source: BBC)