US flight diverted after engine torn apart mid-air

New York: Over 100 people on board US’ Southwest Airlines flight had a lucky escape when a part of the plane’s engine ripped off thousands of feet above the Gulf of Mexico with the passengers experiencing anxious moments before the jet managed to make an emergency landing.  Startled passengers on board Flight 3472 --- from New Orleans to Orlando — heard a frightening blast to the aircraft’s left at an altitude of 30,700 feet. Outside their windows, they saw smoke emanating from the exposed turbine blades.  agencies