Eyewitness: Peru plane crash

Survivors said the plane shook around before crash landing

After a passenger plane crashed in Peru's Amazon jungle, killing at least 40 people, some of the dozens of survivors have been telling their tales.

"It seems it was a matter of the weather. Ten minutes before we were to land in Pucallpa, the plane began to shake a lot," said passenger Tomas Ruiz.

"The weather was really terrible, there was a fierce storm at the time," a police officer in Pucallpa confirmed.

William Zea, who sustained burns on one hand, said: "The plane suffered some malfunction and we went down."

"The plane was jumping, stronger, stronger, and the more it came down, the rougher it got," one survivor, Yuri Salas, said on local radio station CPL.

"The pilot told us that we were at 10,000ft and we were about to descend, but all the time I felt more turbulence," he added.

"The pilot said we'd be there in 10 minutes, but the turbulence was strong.

I was in the middle of flames around the cabin, until I saw to my left a hole to escape through Survivor Yuri Gonzalez

"Then came a thump, and I didn't know if it was the landing or what, and I closed my eyes, I think I lost consciousness.

"Then I saw flames and fires around us."

Yuri Gonzalez told Peru's Radioprogramas: "I felt a strong impact. There was a light and fire broke out, and I was surrounded by flames all around the cabin, until, to my left, I saw a hole to escape through.

"Two other people were struggling to get out and I managed to as well."

"The fire was fierce despite the storm. Hail was falling and the mud came up to my knees."

Another officer, Arioso Obregon, said: "It's really a Dante-esque scene."