A British Airways plane caught fire at an airport in Las Vegas after an aborted takeoff on Tuesday, but the flames were extinguished and just two people among the 159 passengers and 13 crew onboard suffered minor injuries, McCarran International Airport said on Twitter.

Video and photographs from the scene showed flight 2276, a Boeing Co 777 bound for London Gatwick, engulfed in flames and thick black smoke. Emergency slides were deployed from the aircraft.

According to preliminary information, the plane experienced a left engine fire on takeoff, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration's Pacific Division.

McCarran International said the fire had been put out, and published a photo of the plane with its charred fuselage. It said flight operations continue on its three other runways, and that two people were transported with minor injuries.

A spokeswoman for British Airways, which is owned by IAG , said safety is always the airline's priority and the airline is looking after customers.