Peru jet crashes in jungle, at least 40 dead

LIMA, Peru, Wednesday (Reuters) A Peruvian passenger jet crashed during a severe storm in Peru's northeastern jungle on Tuesday, killing at least 40 people, police said.

State-run airline TANS said its Boeing 737-200 plane with 100 people aboard made an emergency landing without its landing gear in swampland 1.8 miles from the remote Pucallpa airport, 490 miles northeast of Lima.

The accident happened at 3:06 p.m. (2006 GMT), TANS said.

"There are 40 cadavers that rescue teams have pulled from the wreckage. There could be more deaths. We assume some 60 people in total since we've rescued 20 injured persons," a police officer in Pucallpa told RPP radio.

There were foreigners among the dead, police Lt. David Mori told Reuters.

"There were Americans on the flight and one was killed along with an Italian. We have also counted an injured Colombian, an Australian and a Spanish woman," he added.

Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo said in a televised address there were between 20 and 30 survivors, but Belevan said there were 52, including two crewmembers.

"The pilot said we'd be there in 10 minutes, but the turbulence was strong. ... We felt a fierce impact, there were flames and fires around us," said passenger Yuri Salas.

Mori said the search for bodies stopped at nightfall and would restart at daylight on Wednesday because the plane crashed in a swamp area and was not easily accessible by road.