A horrific accident during the landing of a Jeju Air flight at Muan International Airport in South Korea has resulted in the deaths of over a hundred people.
Seoul, South Korea: On Sunday, a passenger plane in South Korea's Muan city skidded off the runway, crashed into a concrete wall, and erupted into flames following an explosion. Initial reports suggest that the failure of the plane's front landing gear to deploy caused the accident.
A horrific accident during the landing of a Jeju Air flight at Muan International Airport in South Korea has resulted in the deaths of over a hundred people.
179 of 181 Passengers Killed in Plane Crash After Skidding Off Runway in South Korea, Two Survivors
Seoul, South Korea: On Sunday, a passenger plane in South Korea's Muan city skidded off the runway, crashed into a concrete wall, and erupted into flames following an explosion. Initial reports suggest that the failure of the plane's front landing gear to deploy caused the accident.
Out of the 181 passengers on board, 179 were killed in the crash. Among the victims, 85 were women, 84 were men, and 10 others' identities have not yet been confirmed. Additionally, two crew members were rescued alive and are currently receiving medical treatment, with their condition reported as stable by health officials.
The accident occurred at 9:03 a.m. on Sunday. The engineering company of the aircraft confirmed that it was a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 model that had arrived from Bangkok and was landing at Muan Airport. The plane overran the runway, collided with a concrete wall, and was completely destroyed.
After the crash, around 1,570 rescue workers, police officers, soldiers, and other officials were dispatched to the site to extinguish the flames. South Korea's Fire Agency reported that 32 fire trucks and several helicopters were deployed to control the fire.
It is believed that the plane left the runway at a high speed and that its landing gear failed to deploy. According to the South Korean Ministry of Transport, the pilot had sent out a distress signal before the plane left the runway and crashed into the concrete wall.
The Ministry of Transport also stated that they have recovered the plane's black box data and cockpit voice recorder and have initiated an investigation with experts to determine the cause of the accident.
The Prime Minister of Thailand, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims and instructed the government to provide assistance immediately.
Meanwhile, Jeju Air expressed its sincere apologies for the crash and stated that it would handle the aftermath of the incident responsibly.