US plane makes emergency landing after engine fails

Washington April 18 (IANS) A US passenger plane made an emergency landing in the US city of Philadelphia on Tuesday after one of its engines failed mid-air with at least one person injured according to passenger accounts.

The Boeing 737-700 operated by Southwest Airlines was flying from New York City to Dallas when it encountered the engine failure Xinhua reported.

Passengers said the plane was able to land "safely" but at least one person on board was taken to hospital due to injuries.

Southwest Airlines said in a statement that 143 travelers and five crew members were on the flight and the company was still trying to gather further information.

Photos shared on social media by passengers showed the engine was badly damaged. Previous news reports said the damage was caused by an explosion.

According to passengers on board the plane went through terrifying moments as the plane entered a dive some passengers were said to be crying or vomiting.

A passenger named Marty Matinez made a brief Facebook live on his account at the final moments of the flight saying the "Engine exploded in the air and blew open window 3 seats away" from him.

The US National Transportation Safety Board has announced an investigation into the incident. All air traffic at Philadelphia was put on hold.

--IANS
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