JetBlue flight evacuated at New York airport after passenger's laptop catches fire while taxing

A passenger's laptop caught fire and started emitting smoke inside a JetBlue flight at New York's JFK airport on Saturday, forcing authorities to evacuate the plane with 167 souls on board.

Officials from the FAA, JetBlue and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said the aircraft was taxing to a gate at Terminal 5 when a lithium battery in a passenger’s laptop caught fire, the New York Daily News reported.

The fire was quickly extinguished by the crew of JetBlue Flight 662 from Bridgetown, Barbados.

First responders and the crew evacuated 67 people from the Airbus A320 jet using an emergency slide system. Another 60 passengers exited the plane normally, the Port Authority said.

Seven passengers suffered minor injuries, including smoke inhalation and bruised elbows, the Port Authority said.

“Safety is always our number one priority, and we are investigating this incident in coordination with the FAA and NTSB,” JetBlue said in a statement to the Daily News. (With agency inputs)