Newark Airport reopens after plane engine catches fire

NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport has reopened after a plane engine caught fire, prompting a temporarily closure.

United Airlines Flight 1579 from Newark to San Francisco was supposed to depart at 9:22 p.m. on Tuesday.

The Boeing 757 had 124 passengers and seven crew members aboard.

A spokesman for United, Jonathan Guerin, said the tower notified the crew while the plane was taxiing of what appeared to be flames from one of the engines. He said the crew immediately deployed the plane's slides and evacuated the passengers.

Passengers of the plane were evacuated by using the slide.

Fire has been extinguished.

Five passengers suffered minor injuries during the evacuation.

The passengers were then brought to Terminal C, Gate 71. United said it's working to get the passengers to San Francisco as soon as possible.

United Airlines released a statement saying:

"During taxiing of United flight 1579 from Newark to San Francisco, the tower notified the crew of what appeared to be flames from one of the engines. The crew immediately deployed the slides and evacuated the aircraft. At this time we have a report of only one minor injury. Customers are being transported back to the terminal. We are working to get our customers to San Francisco as soon as possible."

There was a ground stop for about an hour and a half after the plane engine.