British Airways engine catches fire moments before takeoff, passengers evacuated

A British Airways plane preparing to fly to London caught fire at Las Vegas airport, and all 172 people were urgently evacuated. McCarran Airport wrote on Twitter that seven people suffered minor injuries, reports the Patria News Agency.

Several local television stations cited a figure of 14 people with minor injuries who were hospitalized, quoting firefighters from Clark County in Nevada, where Las Vegas airport is located in the western United States.

British Airways mentioned "a small number of passengers and crew members taken to the hospital as a precaution," according to a statement. According to the official statement, the accident occurred when the left engine of the Boeing 777-200 caught fire before takeoff.

The entire situation looked quite dramatic, and after the firefighters arrived, the fire was brought under control. The plane carried 159 passengers and 13 crew members, writes Index.