A wing of an Airbus A320 passenger plane operated by LATAM Airlines Peru caught fire before takeoff at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, the capital of Peru. The aircraft was scheduled to fly from Lima to Piura, but the blaze broke out before departure, infohub.kz reports.
According to RBC, citing local state outlet Andina, the fire broke out near the aircraft's wing. Footage circulating online shows flames engulfing the plane's left wing while it was still on the ground.
After the incident, the airline said it activated safety protocols and decided to disembark passengers as a precautionary measure.
According to Explora WebZine, the fire started near the left engine before takeoff. Videos filmed by passengers show flames and smoke coming from the aircraft while people were still on board. The crew activated safety protocols, and all passengers were evacuated without injuries.
LATAM described the incident as an "unforeseen technical incident." The cause remains to be established through an investigation.