A British Airways jetliner engine caught fire in Las Vegas as the plane was about to leave for London on Tuesday, forcing the pilots to abort takeoff, but all 172 passengers and crew escaped the smoke and flames that quickly enveloped the aircraft.

Several passengers and crew suffered minor injuries and were taken to the hospital as a precaution, a spokeswoman for the airline said. She did not say how many people were injured.

Video and photographs from the scene showed Flight 2276, a Boeing Co. 777 bound for Gatwick, engulfed in flames and thick black smoke at McCarran International Airport.