A major disaster was averted after smoke was seen emanating from an IndiGo plane during take-off from the Patna airport on Friday, ANI reported. The flight, which was headed for New Delhi, was “involved in a low-speed reject due to suspected engine stall”, the airline said.

There were 174 passengers on board. They were all evacuated and are safe.

Initial reports had suggested that the flight had sustained a tyre burst during the incident. IndiGo said an internal inquiry had been launched into the matter, and that no glitches had been reported when the plane had landed in Patna.

The airline’s statement said passenger safety was top priority. The evacuation operation delayed four other flights and inconvenienced scores of passengers.

Union minister Ram Kripal Yadav, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushil Kumar Modi and others making their way to the Capital for the Goods and Services Tax launch were among those delayed, News18 reported.

Earlier on Friday, IndiGo said it is interested in buying Air India’s overseas business if a demerger was possible. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said that a Group of Ministers would take a call on whether there could be demerger of the national carrier.