Plane makes emergency landing at Newark Airport after reports of fire in cargo hold

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Saturday, March 9, 2019
Possible fire on plane diverted to Newark Airport, FAA says
A possible fire on a plane reportedly diverted to Newark Liberty International Airport has caused the airport to shut down all runways Saturday morning.

NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- A plane made an emergency landing at Newark Liberty International Airport after reports of a fire in its cargo hold Saturday morning, officials said.

The FAA tells ABC News that an Air Transat Flight 942, a Boeing 737, reported a possible fire in the cargo hold and diverted to Newark around 8:30 a.m.

The aircraft landed and remained on the runway while firefighters responded. Passengers evacuated on the runway via emergency slides, the FAA said.

A Port Authority of New York and New Jersey spokesman said two of the 189 passengers reported minor injuries, and one was taken to a hospital to be examined.

He said no fire was found and the cause of the smoke remains under investigation.

The flight reportedly departed from Montreal, Canada, and was heading to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Newark Airport tweeted that all runways were closed due to an "airport emergency," but flights have resumed since.

"We confirm that flight TS492, a Boeing 737-800 that was flying from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale, made an emergency landing in Newark (EWR) due to reports of smoke in the cargo hold. No one was injured. Our 189 passengers' safety is our top priority and they were evacuated promptly upon landing," Air Transat spokesperson Debbie Cabana told ABC News in a statement.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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