These images show a Ryanair plane on a flight from London Stansted to Bologna after it was hit by a flock of herons as it approached the runway to land, with a video showing fire spurting out of the back of the right engine shortly before it stopped working.

The footage shows flames being emitted by one of the plane’s engines in bursts as the birds hit it while it came in to land at Bologna’s Marconi Airport on Wednesday 24th November at around 11:30 PM.

Other images show the aftermath of the bird strike, with mangled feathers and blood visible on the damaged plane.

The plane was a Ryanair Boeing 737-800 operating flight FR1194 from London Stansted to Bologna, according to local media reports, with the plane being hit by a flock of herons as it came in to land, and with one of its two engines failing as a result.

The pilots were able to keep their calm and land the plane without incident despite the right engine stalling completely. After it landed, the plane was inspected and it was revealed that the left engine had also been hit.

Another image taken from inside the cockpit shows the windscreen covered in the remains of the birds that hit it.

No injuries were reported.