MOSCOW: A Moscow-bound Boeing 737-800 was forced to make an emergency landing in northern Russia. Engine failure is suspected to be the cause behind the incident, officials on the ground said.

The aircraft was carrying 157 passengers and six crew members on board. It was traveling from the small city of Mirny, Siberia to Moscow when the pilots were forced to divert the plane to Syktyvkar in northern Russia.

It is not immediately clear what caused the problem, but early data indicates that one of the plane’s engines stopped working mid-air, officials on the ground said.

The airliner belonged to Russian diamond-mining giant, Alrosa. The incident comes as Boeing faces scrutiny after two air craft of its newest 737 MAX 8 series crashed in Indonesia and Ethiopia, killing everyone on board. This led many nations around the globe to ground their entire fleets of 737 MAX 8 planes.

(agencies)