An engine fire on a Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 earlier this month was the result of a fuel leak and could have caused extensive damage to the plane, according to investigators. Hong Kong’s flagship airline grounded planes after being forced to turn a flight around a couple of weeks ago because of an "engine component failure".

At Kaohsiung International Airport this morning, a Cathay Pacific Airbus 330-300 aircraft (B-LAQ) powered by Rolls Royce Trent 772B-60 engines, reportedly suffered an engine failure, leading to a loud noise, as experienced by the passengers.

A probe by Hong Kong's aviation accident investigation agency revealed Cathay Pacific's Airbus A350 engine failed in-flight due to a ruptured fuel hose which also showed signs of a fire, the agency's report stated on Thursday.