A firefight near Santiago International Airport in Chile has resulted in a Delta Air Lines plane being riddled with bullets, according to reports.
A video of a report from a Chilean news channel has begun to circulate on social media showing the Delta plane at the airport, also known as the Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, and the damage it has sustained.
A Chilean political scientist calling himself Pablo Lira R. shared a clip from Tu Día, a show on Chilean TV channel Canal 13, to his Twitter on Wednesday.
A Delta Air Lines plane is seen at Los Angeles International Airport on January 11, 2023. A firefight near Santiago International Airport in Chile has resulted in a Delta Air Lines plane being riddled with bullets, according to reports. Getty
According to a translation, he captioned the clip: “Bursts of fire from military weapons hit the fuselage of an airplane that was on the tarmac at Santiago International Airport…in an attempted robbery of a truck that cost the life of a [Directorate General of Civil Aviation] official.”
Ráfagas de armas de guerra afectaron fuselaje de avión que estaba en la losa del aeropuerto internacional de Santiago… en robo frustrado de camión de valores que costó la vida a funcionario de la DGAC.
Hasta cuándo @GabrielBoric! pic.twitter.com/O9AG7JRKaH— Pablo Lira R. (@pablolirar) March 8, 2023
The video clip appears to show damage to the plane’s tail as well as a vehicle engulfed in flames on a road near the airport. Its Spanish caption said two people had been killed in a firefight at the airport.
A report by Crisis 24, a global security information company, stated a shooting occurred as part of an attempted robbery outside the airport. The authorities are currently searching for multiple individuals who fled from the scene after armed clashes with airport security.
According to the report, two individuals—yet to be identified—died in the attempted robbery; it has been confirmed one of them was a Directorate General of Civil Aviation worker.
Two vehicles caught on fire during the incident and were located along a road near the airport. Police believe these vehicles were used by the robbery suspects.
Due to the altercation, there is an expected increase in security measures and disruption to transport in the local area, per Crisis24.
Journalist and Radio 10 host Sergio Marino from Argentina shared another video from the incident on Twitter.
In the clip, a woman who appears to work at the airport records the gun battle near the Delta plane.
Multiple gunshots can be hard and one vehicle can be seen driving quickly through the area.
Newsweek has contacted Delta Airlines via email for comment and Santiago International Airport through its official website.
