Peru: Plane collides with firetruck on runway of international airport, two firefighters killed [TKB World]

A LATAM Airlines (LTM.SN) jet collided with a firetruck on the runway at Peru’s Jorge Chavez International Airport. Two firefighters died in the accident. It was flying on Friday. The airline said that no passenger or crew member died in the incident.

However, it is not clear why the fire engine rammed into the runway when the plane was taking off. The prosecutor’s office said it was investigating the incident as a possible conspiracy. In the video posted on social media, it is seen that the jet while running on the runway collides with the firetruck and then rapidly catches fire. After coming out of a strong spark, it goes ahead and stops. Lima Airport Partners, which operates Jorge Chavez, the country’s most important airport in Lima, said the airport would remain closed until at least 1 p.m. Saturday because of the incident.

LATAM Airlines said that the crashed flight was LA2213 which covered the domestic Lima-Juliaca route. This is the second incident involving LATAM Airlines in less than a month. Recently, part of an aircraft of this airline was destroyed during a severe storm. After this an emergency landing had to be done.