Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash

This is the moment firefighters surround a plane after the pilot had to perform an emergency landing because one of its engines caught fire.

Flight Y4824 operated by the airline Volaris from Mexico City to Chetumal was forced to land in the tourist hotspot Cancun in the southern Mexican state of Quintana Roo after its left-hand engine caught fire.

After the landing firefighters surrounded the left-hand side of the plane to put the flames out, as can be seen in the video.

Reports state some passengers suffered panic attacks but were calmed down by members of the crew and paramedics were not needed.

The 170 passengers were transferred to another plane to continue their journey, local media reported.

Preliminary investigations state that the fire was caused by the interruption of the oil flow in the left engine, which caused it to overheat, leading to smoke and fire. The pilot was warned and the control tower was alerted.

One of the passengers named Andre Dorcelle wrote on social media: “They say you should follow your instincts, I called my mum in the morning saying that I was afraid something bad was going to happen, I thought it was my anxiety.

“I took the plane from Mexico City to Chetumal and we ended up being taken to Cancun because the engine caught fire. Fortunately we landed alright but all the passengers were scared, including me, this is chaos”.

No injuries have been reported.

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