Seoul, South Korea, Dec 29: A tragic incident occurred on Sunday when a passenger aircraft crash-landed at an airport in southwestern South Korea, resulting in dozens of fatalities as the plane skidded down the runway on its belly and subsequently erupted in flames.
As of now, local fire department reports confirm at least 85 casualties. Rescuers managed to extract two individuals, both crew members, alive from the wreckage, but they have cautioned that chances of locating additional survivors are slim.
The ill-fated Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 was arriving from Bangkok with 175 passengers and six crew members aboard when the accident unfolded at Muan county airport shortly after 9 a.m. local time Sunday (7 p.m. ET Saturday). Officials attributed the crash to a malfunction in the landing gear.
Dramatic footage aired by several South Korean news channels depicted the aircraft sliding on its belly at high speeds, colliding with an earthen bank, and resulting in a large fireball.
In the footage from networks such as YTN, JTBC, and MBC, neither the front nor rear landing gear was visible as smoke billowed from the back of the sliding plane.
Firefighters were later seen utilizing water cannons to quell the flames engulfing the wreck of the Boeing 737-800, as recorded by flight-tracking service FlightAware. Debris from the aircraft was also scattered across the runway.
Among the victims, there were 39 males and 46 females, as stated by the South Jeolla Fire Service. The two survivors rescued were one male and one female crew member, per the rescue team.
The South Korean Land Ministry noted that two Thai nationals were among the passengers on board, and officers from the national Incident Investigation Committee arrived at the scene at 10:10 a.m. (8:10 p.m. EST Saturday) to investigate the cause of the incident.
The Korea Airports Corporation announced that all flights to Muan International Airport have been canceled.
Choi Sang-mok, South Korea’s acting president, has directed emergency teams to deploy “all available” resources and personnel to address the situation, according to a release from the interior and safety ministry.
This disaster comes just two days into Choi’s term as acting president, during a turbulent period of political instability in South Korea.
The current president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was stripped of his powers by parliament two weeks prior following a brief martial law that resulted in significant political turmoil. He is presently suspended as a top court determines his position.
Han Duck-soo, who took over as acting president after Yoon, was impeached by parliament on Friday, leading to Choi – the finance minister and deputy prime minister – stepping into his role. (Agencies)
