Passenger jet catches fire at Peru airport, video shows
— -- Video posted to social media Tuesday shows a Peruvian Airlines passenger jet on fire at Francisco Carle Airport in Jauja, Peru, located about 165 miles east of Lima.
The video, which was posted to Facebook, shows several workers tending to the plane as thick black smoke billows toward the sky.
In a statement posted to Twitter, Peruvian Airlines said the plane turned off the runway upon landing at 4:30 p.m. local time.
All 141 passengers on board the Boeing aircraft were evacuated from the plane; none were considerably injured, the airline said.
Alberto Lopez, a spokesman for Peruvian Airlines, emphasized that the plane did not crash, though. "The investigators are traveling to Jauja tomorrow [Wednesday] at 5 am and our emergency team is in place and that is all we can say. The plane did not crash, it landed and then the fire was produced once the plane was on the ground but the exact cause of fire will be explained once the investigation has been completed."
The aircraft caught fire as a consequence of the "forced landing," the Peruvian Ministry of Transport and Communication said in a statement. Firefighters at the airport put the fire out.
Boeing tweeted Tuesday night, "We are aware of the incident involving Peruvian Airlines Flight 2036. Our team is currently gathering more information."
