Hundreds of passengers evacuated as plane CATCHES FIRE before take-off

The right turbine of the plane caught fire while on the runway, according to a spokesman for Brazilian airline Jet.

The aircraft was being pushed back from the airport gate in Brasilia, the country's capital, at the time of the blaze yesterday.

Four fire trucks raced to the scene at around 3:20pm local time and contained the fire in the fuselage next to the engine.

The 145 passengers were evacuated safely and put on other flights to the city of Sao Paulo, an airport spokeswoman said.

The shocking incident comes just days after an American Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Brasilia.

Flight AA904 from Rio de Janeiro to Miami was diverted after four people – including three members of staff – fell ill. 

GETTY FILE PICTURE

The 145 passengers were put on other flights to Sao Paulo

Last year, 170 people were rushed from a British Airways plane at McCarren International Airport after the engine burst into flames.

They escaped down evacuation slides as firefighters doused flames spewing from the engine beneath the wing of the Boeing 777.

Some 14 people were rushed to the nearby Sunrise Hospital for minor injuries, according to fire officials.