Story highlights Plane caught fire on the taxiway and never took off

Minor injuries reported; Newark airport reopens

(CNN) A United flight was evacuated on the Newark Liberty International Airport tarmac Tuesday night after an engine fire was spotted by the airport's tower, officials said.

Three people suffered minor injuries, according Neal Buccino, spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The airport's tower noticed what appeared to be flames in one of the Boeing 757-200's Pratt & Whitney PW2000 engines as it was taxiing on the runway, United Airlines spokesman Jonathan Guerin told CNN.

Just had to evacuate my @united flight using the slide and everything @EWRairport pic.twitter.com/0YhAAPeoFF — Lo Toney (@lo_toney) May 24, 2017

After the tower notified Flight 1579 of the fire, the flight crew deployed the plane's slide chutes and evacuated the passengers on the tarmac. Emergency response teams came to the scene to treat minor injuries, according to Buccino.

Passenger Lo Toney said the plane caught fire on the taxiway and never took off.

Read More