United airlines flight UA328 returning to Denver International Airport. Reuters

Gulf Today Report 

A United Airlines plane encountered engine failure shortly after taking off from Denver for Hawaii, it dropped debris on residential areas before an emergency landing.

The aircraft had 231 passengers and 10 crew members on board. As seen in a video shot from inside the aircraft, the right engine of the Boeing 777-200 was ablaze.

Authorities confirmed zero injuries both on the plane and on the ground.

"I can honestly say I thought we were going to die at one point -- because we started dropping altitude right after the explosion," passenger David Delucia recounted.

In a statement, United Airlines said, "the majority of customers originally on UA328 are currently on their way to Honolulu on a new flight," adding that those who did not wish to travel immediately had been provided with hotel accommodation. 

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In the Denver suburb of Broomfield, residents found large pieces of the plane scattered around their community.

According to Kirby Klements, who a large piece of metal landed in his yard, "It was a little overwhelming.”

“It landed square on top of my truck and fell off," he said, reporting that a separate large piece of debris had put a five-foot (1.5-meter) hole in a neighbor's roof,” he added.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it was "aware of reports of debris in the vicinity of the airplane's flight path," adding that the agency and the National Transportation Safety Board would be investigating the incident.

"If you find debris PLEASE don't touch it or move it. The @NTSB wants all debris to remain in place for investigation," Bloomfield police tweeted.