Harrison Ford injured on set of 'Star Wars'; airlifted to hospital

Actor Harrison Ford was injured on the set of "Star Wars: Episode VII" on Thursday and taken to a hospital for treatment, a Disney representative said.

Ford, 71, hurt his ankle while filming at Pinewood Studios,  on the outskirts of London, Disney spokesman Paul Roeder said. Filming will continue on schedule while Ford recovers. The actor was taken to nearby John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

Thames Valley Police said on its official Twitter feed that police responded to an incident where "a 71-year-old man was airlifted to hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening." A second tweet said the mishap "is believed to have involved a garage door."

The 'Indiana Jones' star is currently being treated in a trauma unit with a specialist fracture clinic after it was confirmed his ankle was broken during the accident, although there is growing speculation that his injuries are worse than initially thought.

Vanessa Davies, a unit publicist for the "Star Wars" film, said any reports that Ford suffered other injuries as well were untrue.

The actor is reprising his role as Han Solo in the highly anticipated Disney reboot of the "Star Wars" franchise, directed by J.J. Abrams and scheduled for release in December 2015.

It is the first of three new films that will continue the saga created by George Lucas, after Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012 for $4.05 billion.

The film's plot has been kept a secret, but Abrams has said the cast will include Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Andy Serkis and Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o.

The movie is set 30 years after "Return of the Jedi."

Star Wars cast 'livid' over accident

The cast of 'Star Wars: Episode VII' are reportedly "livid" with film makers over Harrison Ford's injuries.

Director J.J Abrams is said to be trying to reassure the films' stars - which include Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong'o, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill - that immediate action will be taken to avoid further accidents.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "The cast are livid. They are openly questioning the safety of sets. They've asked for everything to be triple-checked.

"Everyone was thankful nothing hit Harrison's head."

"It's not known when he'll be ready to start filming again."

A source said: "We were told he had some pelvic injuries and may have had a chest X-ray."

Meanwhile, the filming schedule for the latest instalment of the sci-fi classic has been thrown into chaos following the incident with Harrison's absence affecting the filming deadlines for the £150million blockbuster.

However, Disney have released a statement assuring fans that shooting will continue "as planned".

They said: "Harrison Ford sustained an ankle injury during filming today on the set of 'Star Wars: Episode VII'.

"He was taken to a local hospital and is receiving care. Shooting will continue as planned while he recuperates."

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.