Washington  - A passenger plane carrying more than 100 people skidded off the runway and caught fire in Denver, Colorado, on Saturday evening.

Dozens of people were injured in the accident that occurred before take-off at 6:18 pm (0118 GMT), with 38 people taken to hospital, an airport spokeswoman said in a broadcast news conference.

Most of the hospitalized had broken bones.

However, there were no fatalities and none of the injuries were critical, the spokeswoman said. The airport remained open.

The Boeing 737 operated by Continental Airlines was carrying 107 passengers and five crew members headed to Houston.

During take-off, the plane skidded off the runway and landed in a ditch.

Witnesses said flames immediately shot out of the right side, which had been ripped open.

A police spokesman said extinguishing the blaze was "a heck of a fight."

The cause of the accident remained unclear. Weather conditions were clear at the time. (dpa)