A Boeing 737-800 aircraft, operated by Jeju Air, crashed at the Muan International Airport in South Korea on Sunday morning, killing at least 28 people onboard. A harrowing video shows the moment the twin-engine plane skidded off the runway and crashed into a wall. The aircraft immediately burst into flames.
Within seconds, huge black smoke rose into the sky. Visuals also showed flames engulfing parts of the plane.
In the video, it appears the aircraft attempted a ‘belly landing’ (without its landing gear fully extended), seconds before the crash.
⚡️DRAMATIC moment South Korean plane with reported 180+ passengers becomes a fireball and crashes at airport CAUGHT on cam pic.twitter.com/VdrdavEXgT
— RT (@RT_com) December 29, 2024
The plane was carrying 181 passengers, including six crew members. Two people, a passenger and a flight attendant, have been found alive so far, local media reported.
“We have so far confirmed 29 deaths from the crash…but the tally could rise due to the critically injured,” a local fire department official told news agency AFP.
The rescue operations are underway with authorities trying to evacuate passengers from the rear section of the jet. Emergency services at the airport began operations around 9 am after the aircraft crashed. At least 32 fire trucks and scores of firefighters have been deployed at the crash site.
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According to the online flight tracking website, FlightRadar24, the plane was travelling from Bangkok to Muan.
Yonhap News Agency is reporting a Jeju Air 737 went off the runway after landing in Muan. This appears to be #7C2216 from Bangkok operated by a 737-800. https://t.co/Nyf9IuyxmA https://t.co/QkNX4B8eNF pic.twitter.com/LCIUktDbHN
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) December 29, 2024
South Korean acting President Choi Sang-Mok ordered all-out rescue efforts. “All related agencies must mobilise all available resources to save the personnel,” he instructed officials in a statement.
His chief of staff also convened an emergency meeting over the incident.
The crash is believed to have been caused by contact with birds, resulting in malfunctioning landing gear.
