The Boeing 737 jet, which was carrying 177 passengers and six crew when the crash happened, made an attempt to land amid heavy rain and high winds. The flight was en route from Izmir province in western Turkey.

Sabiha Gokcen was closed following the incident, with flights diverted. The airport has since reopened.

Turkish media reports the majority of people onboard were Turkish, as well as 22 foreign nationals from 12 countries.

In a statement, Pegasus said it was “deeply saddened” to confirm three people died in the crash.

“Pegasus Airlines shares in the profound sorrow of all the people affected by this tragic accident,” said the carrier.

“Above all, we would like to express our profound sympathy and heartfelt condolences to those families and friends who have lost loved ones and extend our thoughts to them at this difficult time. Our injured passengers continue to be treated in hospital, and we wish them all a swift recovery.

“We are deploying every resource to support those affected by this accident. Pegasus Airlines’ priority is to support the relatives and friends who have lost loved ones, and we will be doing everything we can to help them in the aftermath of this tragic event, as well as doing our utmost to provide our full support in meeting the needs in hospital of our injured passengers.”

Istanbul governor Ali Yerlikaya said the aircraft came down in “poor weather conditions” and skidded 30 to 40 metres off the end of the runway. An investigation is under way.

Images from the scene show the aircraft broken into three distinct pieces; the front part of the fuselage is torn off completely and came to halt perpendicular to the rest of the body, while there is a large crack in rear of the fuselage near the aircraft’s tailfin.