Delta plane with almost 300 on board catches fire on tarmac

Passengers have been forced to evacuate a Delta plane after an engine caught fire while on the tarmac at Orlando International Airport in Florida.

Video on social media showed smoke and flames rising from the right engine, and passengers exiting the aircraft down inflatable emergency slides.

Delta flight 1213 was set to depart Orlando, famous as the home of Disneyworld, for Atlanta with almost 300 people on board. There are no reports of any injuries.

“Passengers were evacuated. Aircraft Rescue & Fire Fighting team promptly responded,” the airport said in a post on social media.

The Airbus A330 was carrying 282 passengers, 10 flight attendants and two pilots, Delta said in a statement to the BBC’s US partner, CBS News.

The airline said crews evacuated the cabin when flames were seen in part of one of the plane’s two main engines.

Video apparently taken from the terminal showed passengers waiting on the tarmac with emergency vehicles parked next to the aircraft.

“We appreciate our customers’ cooperation and apologise for the experience,” Delta said.

“Nothing is more important than safety and Delta teams will work to get our customers to their final destinations as soon as possible.”

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The Federal Aviation Administration said it will investigate the incident.

There have been several high-profile aviation incidents in North America this year.

On 29 January, 67 people were killed after a passenger plane and a military helicopter collided in mid-air near Washington DC’s Ronald Reagan airport.

Crash investigators recommended restricting helicopter flights in certain areas near the airport following the incident.

On 17 February, all 80 passengers survived after a Delta Air Lines plane crashed and overturned while landing in Toronto.

The plane from Minneapolis skidded along the runway with flames visible and came to a halt upside down as firefighters rushed in. (BBC, excluding headline).