Lima airport: Two firefighters dead as plane crashes during take-off

Two firefighters person died aft a level crashed into a occurrence motortruck portion taking disconnected astatine Peru's busiest airport.

The Latam Airlines level collided with the motortruck conscionable earlier 15:30 (20:30 GMT) connected Friday astatine Jorge Chávez International Airport successful the capital, Lima.

Video posted connected societal media shows the level careering down the runway, catching occurrence and smoking arsenic it crushed to a halt.

No passengers oregon formation unit were killed, the hose said connected Twitter.

A 31-year-old firefighter is successful a captious condition, according to an enforcement manager of the infirmary bureau EsSalud.

Peru's Health Ministry added that 20 passengers are being treated for injuries - 2 of them are believed to beryllium serious.

It remains unclear wherefore the occurrence motortruck entered the runway portion the level was taking off, bound for the confederate Peruvian metropolis of Juliaca.

During a quality conference, Latam CEO Manuel Van Oordt said the formation had been cleared for take-off.

"We don't cognize wherefore [the occurrence truck] was there," helium said. "We didn't inquire for their services."

The prosecutors' bureau said it was investigating the incidental arsenic imaginable manslaughter, according to Reuters quality agency.

Lima Airport Partners (LAP) - which operates Jorge Chávez Airport - has suspended flights until Saturday day astatine the airport.

International flights owed to onshore determination person been diverted to Colombia, Panama and assorted Peruvian cities including Iquitos, Pisco, and Arequipa.

In a connection LAP added: "At this infinitesimal we are uncovering and investigating each the indispensable factors that could find the origin of this."

President Pedro Castillo paid tribute to the firefighters connected societal media.

"I explicit my heartfelt condolences to the relatives of Ángel Torres and Nicolás Santa Gadea, brave firefighters who died successful the accident," helium wrote connected Twitter.

"My thoughts and my prayers are with them. I commune for the betterment of the wounded."