An American Airlines Boeing jet caught fire after landing at Denver International Airport in Colorado on Thursday, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported.

Passengers on the flight were evacuated on to the tarmac of an airport in Colorado as a fire broke out on the plane, sending smoke billowing into the air.

Footage of the evacuation showed passengers huddled on the wing of the Boeing airliner, some holding bags, with flames burning near the bottom of the plane.

There were 172 passengers and six crew members aboard, the airliner said, all passengers were safely evacuated from the plane but 12 people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, Denver International Airport said in a post on social media platform X.

It added that the plane was a Boeing 737-800 and experienced an “engine-related issue”.

Dramatic video images widely shared on social media showed billowing smoke around the jet on the ground near the terminals and passengers standing on a wing as emergency services arrived.