A LATAM Airways jet collided with a firetruck at the runway because it was once commencing from the airport in Peru’s capital Lima on Friday, ensuing within the loss of life of 2 firefighters, the service mentioned.
Peru’s well being ministry mentioned at 7 pm (0000 GMT) that 20 passengers have been being handled in a sanatorium, and no less than two have been in critical situation. The airline mentioned no passengers or team individuals have been killed.
The ministry mentioned 61 folks have been moved to within reach clinics and hospitals from Jorge Chavez World Airport. It was once now not transparent whether or not this was once because of harm or precaution.
President Pedro Castillo expressed condolences to the households of the 2 firefighters in a commentary on Twitter, announcing he was once praying for the restoration of the ones injured.
It was once unclear why the firetruck entered the runway whilst the airplane was once commencing. The prosecutors’ administrative center mentioned it was once investigating the incident as attainable manslaughter.
That is the second one incident in lower than a month involving LATAM Airways, after certainly one of its planes had its nostril destroyed all over a serious typhoon that compelled it to make an emergency touchdown.
Chile-based LATAM Airways’ Peru department mentioned it was once deploying all its assets to wait to these affected, and paintings with government to beef up the investigation.
Video posted on social media confirmed the jet colliding with the firetruck because it careened down the runway, then swiftly catching hearth and smoking closely because it floor to a halt.
“Everybody within the departure living room was once fearful till we noticed the airplane stopped, after which the hearth engines and ambulances arrived,” mentioned Mauro Ferreira, a Brazilian ready to board a flight house to Panama, who filmed the incident.
“It was once a harrowing feeling as a result of we did not know what number of people have been throughout the airplane and the flames have been very tall.”
Lima Airport Companions, which operates Jorge Chavez, Peru’s maximum vital airport, mentioned the airport will stay closed no less than thru 1 pm (1800 GMT) on Saturday.
The flight was once LA2213, protecting the home Lima-Juliaca direction, LATAM Airways mentioned.