A tragic plane crash in South Korea has seen the death toll rise to 179. Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 became engulfed in flames after it went off the runway at Muan International Airport, an incident arriving just days after another terrifying aviation disaster struck on Christmas Day in Azerbaijan.
Carrying 181 passengers, the Boeing aircraft veered off course during landing and collided with a fence. Preliminary investigations suggest potential issues with the landing gear, while witnesses recounted explosive "bang" sounds as pilots attempted to land the plane, circling back for another approach.
Footage shows the aircraft attempting a belly landing without its landing gear deployed, which resulted in it failing to slow down sufficiently, according to the Express US. A bird strike may have caused the landing gear to fail, resulting in the plane swerving off the tarmac and slamming into a boundary wall.
The jet disintegrated and erupted in flames, creating one of South Korea’s deadliest air disasters in over a decade. Emergency response teams are meticulously investigating the exact cause of the fire, deploying 32 fire engines and numerous helicopters to combat the flames.
The devastating event was televised, displaying scenes of the aircraft engulfed by dense black smoke, reports the Mirror.
A local who was fishing in proximity to Muan Airport witnessed the catastrophe unfold, telling broadcasters: "The plane was flying low to land when it collided with the flock of ducks."
He observed the confusion among the birds and the aircraft appeared to be aflame. He continued with: "Then, a moment later, there was a loud bang and a huge amount of smoke rose into the sky."
Jeju Air conveyed their profound regret through a statement on their website: "Jeju Air deeply bows in apology to all those affected by the Muan Airport accident."
The airline emphasised that their immediate concern is addressing the incident, also expressing profound contrition for sparking public alarm.
Tragically, from the ashes of the crash, only two individuals emerged as survivors; a passenger and one crew member remain amidst the devastation.
The tail section of an aircraft was engulfed in flames, compelling emergency crews to rush to the site, with the shocking images underscoring the severity of the incident. South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has initiated an investigation into the crash.
The fallout from the event led to all flights being grounded at Muan Airport in Jeollanam-do.
It falls under scrutiny by Acting President Choi Sung-mok as well, who has only recently assumed control last Friday following the impeachment of his predecessor, promptly emphasising the necessity of a wide-ranging rescue operation. At 9.50 am, Choi was seen at the Central Disaster Management Headquarters in Seoul before making the journey approximately 300km to the accident’s location.
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English (United States) ·