File Photo: A Southwest Airlines plane is seen at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the Greater Los Angeles Area, California, U.S., April 10, 2017. (Xinhua/REUTERS)

WASHINGTON, April 17 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. passenger plane made an emergency landing in the U.S. city of Philadelphia Tuesday after one of its engines failed mid-air, with at least one person injured, according to passenger accounts.

The Boeing 737-700, operated by Southwest Airlines, was flying from New York City to Dallas when it encountered the engine failure.

Passengers said the plane was able to land "safely", but at least one person on board was taken to hospital due to injuries.

Southwest Airlines said in a statement that 143 travellers and five crew members were on the flight and the company was trying to gather further information.

Photos shared on social media by passengers showed the engine was badly damaged. Previous news reports said the damage was caused by an explosion.