Over 60 Dead After Plane With 181 People Onboard Crashes In South Korea; Rescue Operations Underway

At least 62 people were killed on Sunday (29 December) when an airliner veered off the runway and collided with a wall at South Korea's Muan International Airport.

Rescue efforts are ongoing, with investigators probing a possible bird strike as the cause of a landing gear failure.

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.

Rescue teams managed to pull off two survivors, identified as a crew member and a passenger, from the wreckage as efforts to locate others continue.

South Korea's MBC network aired footage showing the Boeing 737-8AS, operated by Jeju Air, arriving from Bangkok with smoke visibly streaming from its engines as it landed on the runway. Seconds later, the aircraft was seen consumed by flames.

Rescue operations remain in progress as investigators delve into the cause of the accident.

Local media footage revealed the twin-engine jet sliding across the runway without visible landing gear before crashing into a wall, triggering a fiery explosion.

Additional images depicted sections of the plane engulfed in smoke and flames.

According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, airport officials suggested that a bird strike might have caused the landing gear to fail.

The transportation ministry reported that the flight’s passengers included two Thai nationals, with the remaining individuals believed to be South Korean citizens.

South Korean acting President Choi Sang-mok, who was appointed interim leader on Friday following the impeachment of his predecessor amid a political crisis, has directed full-scale rescue operations, according to his office.

Also Read: SpaDeX: India Eyes Space Docking Milestone With ISRO’s Final Mission For 2024—What You Need To Know