A building burns after a Brazilian passenger plane crashed at Sao Paulo's Congonhas airport July 17, 2007. Airport officials said 174 passengers and crew were on board the Airbus A320 flying from Porto Alegre in southern Brazil when it lost control on landing and skidded off the wet runway. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)


BRASILIA, July 17 (Xinhua) -- A Brazilian passenger plane carrying at least 170 people crashed into a fuel station and set off a huge fire at Sao Paulo's Congonhas airport on Tuesday, but no immediate casualties were reported by authorities.

Brazilian airline TAM, owner and operator of the aircraft, said in a press release that 170 passengers and crew were aboard the Airbus A320 flying from Porto Alegre in southern Brazil to Sao Paulo when it lost control on landing and skidded off the wet runway.

About a dozen ambulances raced to the crash site just outside the airport and television images showed the plane's tail sticking out from a building in flames as firefighters tried to put out the blaze.

The Globo News Television reported that at least four people have been sent to Alvorada Hospital, but TAM didn't give a word on death or injuries.