LIMA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- A Peruvian Airlines plane caught fire upon landing at the Jauja airport in Junin region on Tuesday. All people on board were evacuated in time, local media reported.

Nearly 140 passengers were rescued by some 20 firefighters on the scene, according to Peruvian daily El Comercio.

The fire reportedly erupted when the Boeing 737, arriving from Lima, was touching down at close to five o'clock in the afternoon. The flames and smoke generated panic among the passengers, said the daily.

Video footage of the plane on the tarmac, apparently taken by someone who happened to be on the other side of the fence of the airport, showed a thick plume of black smoke billowing from the aircraft.

There is no report as yet on what caused the fire.