JetBlue flight carrying 167 people evacuated after fire breaks out

A flight carrying over 160 people had to be evacuated over the weekend after a fire broke out.

Passengers were onboard a JetBlue flight from Barbados to New York when smoke began to fill the cabin shortly after the plane had landed at JFK Airport on Saturday (24 December).

One of the people on the flight reportedly screamed, 'fire' as other passengers began panicking.

According to CBS News, a passenger who was sat in the front row told them that the captain came to the rescue.

He said: "The captain came flying out of the cabin. He grabbed a fire extinguisher and was doing like an O. J. Simpson over the seats and passengers.

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"The guy was amazing, and put the fire out. It was a complete zoo."

According to the New York Fire Department, 167 people had to be evacuated from the flight using the emergency slides, while other reports claim that some passengers were able to leave the plane using the standard exits.

Five passengers were injured during the evacuation.

It's thought the fire started due to a smoking phone charger.

JetBlue spokesperson Derek Dombrowski said safety was paramount for the airline.

He said: "On Saturday, JetBlue flight 662 with service from Bridgetown, Barbados (BGI) was evacuated shortly after landing at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) due to reports of a customer’s malfunctioning electronic device or battery."

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He added: "Safety is always our number one priority, and we are investigating this incident in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board."

UNILAD has contacted JetBlue for further comment.

Earlier this year, a woman was detained after being accused of faking labor so the flight she was on had to make an emergency landing.

Following the incident, which saw Pegasus Airlines plane travelling from Casablanca in Morocco to Turkey's Istanbul stopped at the El Prat Airport in Barcelona, Spanish authorities launched an investigation the incident.

After the plane made its landing, the delegation for Spain's government in Catalonia said that at least 28 people left the aircraft without authorization and 'tried to flee' as the woman was being evacuated.

Although she was pregnant, medical staff determined from a check-up that she was not going into labor and she was detained on charges of public disorder.