At least 47 people were killed when an airliner veered off the runway and erupted into a fireball as it slammed into a wall at South Korea’s Muan International Airport.
The crash occurred as Jeju Air flight 7C2216, carrying 175 passengers and six crew on a flight from the Thai capital Bangkok, was landing shortly after 9 a.m. (0000 GMT) at the airport in the south of the country, South Korea’s transport ministry said.
Two people were found alive and rescue operations were still underway, a fire official told the Reuters news agency.
An airport official said that emergency services were attempting to rescue people in the tail section of the aircraft.
Yonhap reports that the passengers on board included 173 South Koreans and two Thais.
The cause of the crash is still not known, but local media is reporting that it may have been caused by birds getting caught in the plane’s systems.
Local media shared a video showing the twin-engine aircraft skidding down the runway with no apparent landing gear before slamming into a wall in an explosion of flame and debris. Other photos showed smoke and fire engulfing parts of the plane.
❗️✈️🇰🇷 – Death toll from plane crash in South Korea rises to 47, more than 130 people still missing.
— 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformant_x) December 29, 2024
The incident occurred when a Jeju Air flight, carrying 181 passengers and crew from Bangkok, veered off the runway upon landing, colliding with a barrier and bursting into… pic.twitter.com/A9eFiyTFpw
The plane a Boeing 737-800 jet operated by Jeju Air, was seeking details of the accident, including its casualties and cause, an airline spokesperson said.
Boeing and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
