Photos: Plane catches fire on runway at Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida

The engine of a Caracas, Venezuela-bound Boeing 767 caught fire while the plane taxied for departure Thursday at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, a Federal Aviation Administration official said.

The pilot of an aircraft traveling behind Dynamic International Airways Flight 405 reported fuel was leaking from the aircraft before it caught fire, the official said. The fire occurred about 12:30 p.m. on the airport's north runway. Passengers evacuated the jet via emergency slides onto the taxiway. The airport was closed as emergency officials responded, airport spokesman Allan Siegel said.  See more photos after the cut..