At least two firefighters died Friday at Jorge Chavez International Airport, in the Peruvian capital of Lima, after their truck collided with the wing of a plane that was in the process of taking off.
«A plane that was taking off impacted its right wing with the autobomba (fire truck) of the airport, in which, due to the impact, two firefighters died,» reported the general commander of the Fire Department, Luis Ponce.
Also, in declarations to the Peruvian radio station RPP, the Fire Brigade commander clarified that all the passengers of the plane have been evacuated and none of them has been seriously injured, so that the situation is considered to be under control.
The operating company of Jorge Chavez Airport, Lima Airport Partners, has regretted what happened. The plane was flying between Lima and the city of Juliaca, some 840 kilometers from the capital and located in southeastern Peru.
«At this moment we are carrying out all the necessary investigations to determine the causes of this event,» the organization said in a statement, where they conveyed their condolences to the families of the victims and said they are at their disposal.
As a consequence of the incident, Jorge Chavez airport has suspended its activity until after midday on Saturday (local time), and the authorities have appealed to travelers to be informed about the conditions for rescheduling their flights.
