A fire on the runway of Frankfurt Airport sparked alarm on Monday with people thinking of the worst, including a plane inferno as thick smoke was seen rising from the area.

Images showing columns of black smoke billowing from the airport tarmac have appeared online, with some people fearing that an aircraft had caught fire.

Yet, the blaze, which in eyewitness pictures appeared to come from a passenger jet, was actually caused by a malfunction in an aircraft tow vehicle, according to local media reports.

Airplane on fire at Frankfurt airport pic.twitter.com/SL7XskDvft — Mark Hellemans (@markhellemans) June 11, 2018

The fire has since been extinguished by emergency crews, with images of the aftermath showing blankets of foam sprayed over the damaged vehicle.

Star Alliance plane at Frankfurt airport pic.twitter.com/2rQl6Y1S46 — Latafat Abdulghani (@Abdulghani_L) June 11, 2018

Nobody was injured in the incident, an airport spokesperson told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

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