An Air Botswana jet carrying 30 passengers and destined for South Africa has failed to take off following the explosion of one of its engines.

Passengers say that the plane was already taking off with the front wheels in the air when they heard a tremendous blast coming from the left side of the plane, followed by a large cloud of smoke.

Chief Major of the Civil Aviation Authority, General Jefferson Thokwane has not yet commented on the incident saying that it may prejudice the ongoing investigations into the case.

The captain of the plane, Boral Kereng, remained calm and landed the plane safely before a possible tragedy could occur.

Witnesses have said that the incident exposed exactly how Air Botswana handles disaster management. The passengers were left wondering what had happened as nobody communicated with them about the incident. Neither the pilot nor the crew tried to calm them down or reassure them. The passengers were also made to wait inside the aircraft for over ten minutes while it continued to bellow smoke. A mini bus then arrived 40 minutes later to transport the shaken passengers back to the terminal.