A plane has been evacuated after an engine burst into flames during take-off.
Scary images show smoke billowing from the engine on the aircraft’s left wing.
Panicked passengers are seen evacuating the Airbus A320 on two emergency slides.
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In total, 164 passengers and four crew members had to escape via the slides.
The engine fault happened while Avianca flight AV9418 was departing from Matecaña International Airport in Pereira, Colombia, on 27 November.
Bound for the Colombian capital Bogotá, the flight was cancelled after the technical fault was detected.
One passenger, named Wilson Sánchez, said: “There was an engine failure when the pilot accelerated.
“And then there was an emergency evacuation due to a possible fire.
“They left us waiting inside the plane for over five minutes despite reporting thick smoke.”
Luis Rojas said: “I first thought a tyre had exploded as the plane started to move from side to side quite dramatically.
“They shouted that we had to evacuate and obviously people were very afraid.”
Daniela Hoyos said: “Everything happened so fast.
“When I heard the bang, I looked out the window and it looked like smoke.
“I prayed for my life.”
Luis Alberto stated: “A person travelling next to me gave me a hug and the panic started.
“I thought that was going to be the last moment we were alive.”
An airline spokesperson said: “Avianca reports that flight AV9418, on the Pereira-Bogotá route, presented a technical issue at the point of takeoff.
“The crew promptly made the decision to halt the flight and remain on the ground.”
The airline also said that all the passengers and crew members were “in perfect condition”.
The runway was temporarily closed while the plane was evacuated and towed to a hangar.
Passengers had to make their way to their destination on alternative flights, as reported by Need To Know.
The Colombian Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed that they are investigating the “apparent fault in one of the plane’s engines”.
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