Firefighters stand next to a Dynamic Airways Boeing 767 Thursday at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport in Dania Beach, Fla.
Wilfredo Lee / AP
At least 15 people were injured Thursday after a passenger plane's engine caught fire on a runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida.
The Dynamic Airways Boeing 767 was carrying 110 passengers when the left engine caught fire as it taxied for takeoff to Caracas, Venezuela.
One person was seriously burned, two had less serious burns, and the remaining 12 were "walking wounded" – suffering from bruises and other minor injuries, Broward County Sheriff's spokesman Mike Jachles said.
Teams from the sheriff's office arrived within two minutes of the first 911 call at 12:34 p.m., Jachles told reporters. The evacuation was already in progress, and everyone was off the plane by 12:36 p.m.
Firefighters sprayed the plane with chemical foam, and it appears the fire began in the plane's engine, Jachles said. Emergency responders were still evaluating some of the plane's occupants, but 15 people had been transported to the hospital.
Luckily, Jachles said, the sheriff's office had trained for plane fires and first responders were within a mile of the airport when the emergency took place. The outcome could have been worse, he said.
"We had an effective response, a quick response, and I think that's reflected by the results we see," he said.
A team from the National Transportation Safety Board was en route to investigate the fire. The airport reopened around 3 p.m. after officials inspected runways and equipment for any potential damage.
from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/1PTkV3j
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