An Air Canada flight was diverted to Montreal early Thursday after leaving Halifax in the midst of a lightning storm, during which a passenger reported flames coming from an engine.

Flight 860, bound for London, England, couldn’t return to Halifax Stanfield International Airport.

Passenger Gwen Martin said there was a loud bang and flames came out of an engine. She said about 10 minutes later, the captain announced they were diverting to Montreal. Passengers were told the plane was not hit by lightning, she said.

Martin, a CBC employee in Halifax who watched the lightning from her window seat, said there was no panic on the plane.

According to a flight tracking website, the plane left Halifax just after midnight and arrived in Montreal nearly 2½ hours later.

Air Canada and NavCanada could not be reached for comment.

The thunder and lightning storm blew into Nova Scotia late Wednesday night and moved across the province early Thursday.

Nearly 50,000 homes and businesses were without power at the height of the storm.

(Source: CBC)