LATAM Airplane Hits Vehicle On Runway, Catches Fire At Airport In Lima

A Peruvian airbus ran into a firetruck as it took off from Lima’s International airport Friday afternoon. The vehicle caught fire on the runway killing its two occupants during the collision. Authorities said all 102 plane passengers and six of its crew were unharmed. Lima Airport Partners, the company that runs the operations at Jorge Chávez International Airport said they suspended all operations at the facility right after the incident.

A report from AP News said the Airbus A32neo hit the fire truck while it was in motion. Luis Ponce La Jara, general commander of the fire department confirmed that two of his firefighters were killed and another was injured.

LATAM Airlines grieved the deaths of the two firefighters adding they were unaware as to why the firetruck was on the runway at the time. Flight LA2213 was said to be taking off from Jorge Chávez International Airport, on its way to the Peruvian city of Juliaca. Videos posted to social media showed smoke surrounding the plane on the runway.

Manuel van Oordt, general manager of LATAM Airlines Peru said there were no emergencies on the flight and was in optimal condition for taking off at the time. He added that the plane had the authorization to take off when it encountered the truck and did not know why the truck was in the way. He added that the airport management will be investigating the incident.

“We have to investigate and establish why it was there,” Oordt said.

Meanwhile, Peruvian President Pedro Castillo expressed his condolences to the families of the firefighters. The Prosecutor’s Office in Callao, which is located around the same area as the airport, said an official investigation was opened to find out the cause of the accident. The fire department said the accident occurred around 3:25 p.m. and four rescue units were mobilized. LATAM Airlines announced it would provide flexibility to reprogram flights to the affected passengers with no additional costs reassuring that each and everyone is in good hands.

“Our teams are providing the necessary care to all passengers, who are in good condition,” the company said.