A Plane Catches Fire at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, Causing Multiple Injuries

On Friday afternoon and in what appears to be a scene straight out of someone’s nightmare, a plane at Chicago’s O’Hare airport caught fire. Luckily, the 170 people on board were evacuated quickly from the plane, but at least nine people were injured. The cause of the fire is the subject of debate between the airline and the Federal Aviation Administration.

The flight was scheduled to take off for Miami, but the FAA says a tire blew as the plane was about to take off, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. However, American Airlines revealed that the fire was due to an engine malfunction. The pilots, passengers, and crew exited the plane via the inflatable slides. The scene was a bit chaotic as passengers stopped to record the smoke coming from the plane.

Passenger Hector Cardenas told ABC 7 news the plane was about to take off and were close to leaving the runway when the fire started. The Chicago Tribune reports that the fire was extinguished, but three runways at the airport were closed and nine people were injured. Two passengers were reported to have serious injuries, although the extent of those has not been revealed. ABC News says the fire is currently under investigation.

(Via Chicago Tribune & ABC 7 News)