A South Korean passenger plane burst into flames on Saturday killing at least 179 people so far. The plane skidded off a runway at the country’s Muan International Airport. The incident took place as the Jeju Air flight 7C2216, carrying 175 passengers and six crew members onboard from Bangkok was landing around morning in the airport.
32 fire trucks and several helicopters were deployed to contain the fire. Reportedly, emergency workers pulled out two people alive including one passenger and one crew member. Videos and photos from the crash site showed thick black smoke emerging out of the flight and a clip of the moment of the crash showed the plane skidding off the runway.
Lee Jeong-hyeon, chief of the Muan fire station, told a televised briefing that rescue workers are continuing to search for bodies scattered by the crash impact. The plane was completely destroyed, with only the tail assembly remaining recognizable among the wreckage, he said. Lee said workers were looking into various possibilities about what caused the crash, including whether the aircraft was struck by birds which caused mechanical problems.
What led to the tragedy?
Even though the exact reason behind the crash is yet to be ascertained, emergency officials in Muan said that the plane's landing gear appeared to have malfunctioned. An investigation is on to determine the cause of the fire.
This crash marked one of the deadliest disasters in South Korea’s aviation history. The flight slammed into a concrete fence when its front landing gear apparently failed to deploy.
It is being speculated that a bird collision could be the reason for the malfunction in the gear, however, an official statement confirming this is awaited.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office said his chief secretary, Chung Jin-suk, will preside over an emergency meeting between senior presidential staff later on Sunday to discuss the crash.
(With agency inputs)
