Air Canada plane comes off runway in Nova Scotia during 'hard landing'

(CNN) - An Air Canada jet came off the runway during its landing early Sunday at an airport in the eastern city of Halifax, officials said.

"It was a hard landing, and the aircraft left the runway," said Peter Spurway, a spokesman for Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Nova Scotia, where the plane landed.

No major injuries have been reported from the incident, and all of the people on board were able to get off the plane. But Air Canada said on Twitter that 22 people had been taken to the hospital for observation and treatment of minor injuries.

The aircraft, an Airbus A320, was damaged, Spurway said, without giving further details.

"It is off the runway now," he said.

Air Canada Flight 624 left Toronto late Saturday for Halifax. Air Canada tweeted that a preliminary count indicated that there were 132 passengers and five crew members on board.

Heavy snow was reported at the time of the landing, but Spurway said it was unclear if that played a role in the accident.

Scott Murray told CBC News that he was waiting at the airport for his father, who was on the flight. He said his father had called to say that "the plane crashed and he's all right."

The airport also lost its electricity supply for part of the night.

"Power is out at HFX airport," tweeted CBC reporter Chris Ensing. "Pitch black with exit lights on. Blowing snow."

Nova Scotia Power tweeted later that it had restored power to the airport.