LIMA – A Boeing airliner operated by Peruvian Airlines caught fire on Tuesday while landing at an airport near the Andean town of Jauja in central Peru after it swerved on the runway.
All 141 people on board the flight, which originated in Lima, were evacuated safely, said an official statement
There were no serious injuries, according to Interior Minister Carlos Basombrio.
Peruvian Airlines said in a statement that the Boeing 737-300 jet drove off the runway for unspecified reasons during the scheduled landing, after swerving to the right.
Authorities are investigating the incident, which occurred about 4:30 p.m., involving the Boeing 737-300 jet at the high-altitude airport in an agricultural valley some 265 kilometers from Lima, the capital.
The fire likely started when the wing scraped the runway, said.
DETAILS: Incident occurred at #FranciscoCarleAirport in #Jauja, #Peru https://t.co/nhioGMN3L8 pic.twitter.com/UvwEuG7XS0
— RT (@RT_com) March 29, 2017
Television images showed a large cloud of black smoke streaming from an airliner in flames.
