SAO PAULO: A fire on the tarmac at Sao Paulo international airport, Brazil´s largest, prompted the evacuation of 169 passengers from a Latam Airlines plane overnight on Thursday, the airline said.
Passengers exited the aircraft via the boarding bridge and evacuation slides after the fire hit external equipment on the tarmac before departure for a domestic flight to Porto Alegre in southern Brazil.
“There were no injuries and the situation was quickly brought under control,” Latam said in a statement, adding that smoke from the fire had triggered safety protocols.
Videos circulating on social media show flames near the underside of the aircraft and thick smoke. Other images show passengers descending on emergency slides to the tarmac.
