By Admin A passenger plane on Sunday caught fire after a failed landing at South Korea’s Muan International Airport. Most of the 181 people on board died in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters.
Investigating authorities said the plane’s landing gear malfunctioned and failed to deploy during a second landing attempt, forcing the pilots to conduct a belly landing near the end of the runway. The Boeing 737-800 jet failed to reduce speed, exceeded the runway, and crashed into a fence at the outer perimeter of the airport. It then exploded.
Thick black smoke filled the air at the crash site.
Investigators are considering a bird collision as the cause of the malfunction, Yonhap reported.
At least 177 people—84 women, 82 men, and 11 others whose genders weren’t immediately identifiable—died in the fire, the South Korean fire agency said. Emergency workers pulled two people, both crew members, to safety. Health officials said they are conscious and not in life-threatening condition.
Two people remained missing about nine hours after the incident. Among the 177 bodies found, officials have so far identified 57 of them, the fire agency said.
The Jeju Air flight 7C2216 was carrying 181 passengers, including six flight attendants, as it was returning from Bangkok, Thailand. The passengers included two Thai nationals and the rest are believed to be South Koreans, according to the transportation ministry.
The crash occurred just after 9 a.m. local time. The fire took 43 minutes to extinguish, the Herald reported.
Two survivors were found alive early in the rescue operation that focused on the tail section of the plane, Yonhap reported. The two survivors have since been confirmed as one female and one male crew member, the Jeonnam Fire Services headquarters said.
The Muan airport is located in Korea’s South Jeolla Province. All domestic and international flights at the airport were canceled following the deadly crash, Yonhap reported.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok, who was named interim leader of the country on Friday after the previous acting president was impeached amid an ongoing political crisis, ordered all-out rescue efforts, his office said.
His chief of staff convened an emergency meeting.
A Jeju Air spokesperson said the airline is seeking details of the accident.
Hotlines have been established for family members who believe their loved ones were on board: +82-1599-8629 for callers from overseas, 1-833-892-0197 for callers in North America, and 080-898-1500 for callers in Korea.