Peru Plane Catches Fire upon Landing, No Serious Injuires

A Boeing jet operated by Peruvian Airlines caught fire Tuesday while landing at an airport near the Andean town of Jauja in central Peru after it swerved on the runway, but there were no serious injuries, a government minister said.

Peruvian Airlines said in a statement that the Boeing 737-300 jet drove off the runway for unspecified reasons during the scheduled landing, after swerving to the right. It said that all 141 people on board the flight, which originated in Lima, were evacuated safely.

"Today, at 16:30 pm, when we landed at Francisco Carle de Jauja Airport, our Boeing 737-300 aircraft … turned on the right side, skidding off the runway. The high professionalism of our cabin crew prevented a major incident," the airline said in a statement.

Local media reported that the plane's right wing broke, starting the fire. The plane reportedly skidded off the runway as it made its landing.