LIMA | A takeoff airliner struck a fire truck at Lima International Airport on Friday, causing the plane to catch fire and causing passengers to be evacuated and killing two firefighters, multiple official sources said.
Lima Airport Partners (LAP), the operator of Jorge Chavez Airport, “deeply regrets the deaths of two members of the LAP Aeronautical Fire Brigade in the accident that occurred between a fire engine and the aircraft carrying flight LA2213 from Lima to Juliaca .” , near the border with Bolivia.
The airline LATAM, which operated the domestic flight, “confirms that no passenger or crew member died”.
The plane carried 102 passengers. The number of crew members was not specified.
The Department of Transportation also confirmed “an accident on the runway at Jorge Chavez Airport.”
“Following the report of the deaths of two flight firefighters and one injured person, prosecutors are attempting to clarify the facts before they may indict manslaughter and bodily harm,” the agency said.
LAP clarified that its “teams provide necessary care to all passengers who are well.” “We are also investigating to determine the causes of the incident,” he added.
Lima firefighters said the alarm went off at 15:25 (20:25 GMT) and four ambulances and rescue teams were deployed.
Footage taken by witnesses to the crash and broadcast by TV stations shows the plane — an Airbus A320, according to aircraft-tracking websites — speeding towards takeoff, hitting a truck moving at a brisk pace and clipping it.
The landing gear was damaged, the plane continued on its course, rubbing the runway with its right wing and spraying fire. When its run was stopped, thick smoke rose from the device, which caught fire.
The airport manager announced that airport operations had ceased by Saturday noon.
Many flights have been cancelled, while others have been diverted to Pisco Airport, 250 km south of the Peruvian capital. International connections, particularly to North America, will also be disrupted as Lima is a hub for connections in the region.
In October, a LATAM plane with 48 passengers on board made an emergency landing in Asuncion after flying through a severe mid-air storm.