US jetliner makes emergency landing in Cuba after hitting birds

A US jetliner taking off from Cuba experienced engine trouble after hitting birds and returned to Havana for an emergency landing on Sunday, Cuban authorities said.

Smoke seeped into the cabin of the plane but no one was injured in the incident involving Southwest Airlines flight 3923 to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the airline and the Cuban civil aviation authority Cacsa said on its Facebook page.

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The Boeing 737 was carrying 147 passengers and a crew of six, Southwest Airlines said in a statement to AFP.

It said birds struck one of the plane's engines and its nose shortly after takeoff.

"The pilots safely returned to Havana where customers evacuated the aircraft via slides due to smoke in the cabin," the statement said.

The travellers will be put on another flight to Fort Lauderdale, it added.

Cacsa said a probe had been launched.