Engine of British Airways plane catches fire in Las Vegas, two minor injuries

LAS VEGAS: An engine of a British Airways plane caught fire at an airport in Las Vegas on Tuesday after an aborted takeoff. Fortunately, all 159 passengers and 13 crew members on board were evacuated safely, though two people did suffer minor injuries.

McCarran International Airport said on Twitter that the flames from the fire had been extinguished.

Video and photographs from the scene showed flight 2276, a Boeing-777 bound for London, engulfed in flames and thick black smoke rising into the air. Emergency slides were deployed from the aircraft to evacuate passengers.

According to preliminary information, the plane experienced a left engine fire on takeoff, said Ian Gregor, a spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration's Pacific Division.

McCarran International said the fire had been put out, and published a photo of the plane with its charred fuselage. It said flight operations continue on its three other runways, and that two people were transported with minor injuries.

A spokesperson for British Airways, which is owned by IAG, said safety is always the airline's priority and the airline is looking after customers.