Thirteen people aboard a Cuban airliner were injured on Monday when the plane came off the runway at Caracas Airport after aborting its takeoff, airport and rescue officials said.

"It was going to take off but couldn't and swerved off the runway," an air traffic control officer said.

The Russian-made Cubana airlines Il-18 turboprop was preparing to fly to Havana from Simon Bolivar International Airport at Maiquetia, which serves the Venezuelan capital.

Venezuela's Civil Defense Service chief Antonio Rivero told state television 13 of the 87 passengers on board were injured and were taken to hospital. "The information I have is that most of the injuries are light," he said.

Rivero said the airliner was thought to have aborted its takeoff because of a mechanical failure.