Fire and smoke rise from the tail section of a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 series aircraft after the plane crashed and burst into flames at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, some 288 kilometres southwest of Seoul on December 29, 2024. | Photo Credit: YONHAP / AFP
“A passenger plane burst into flames Sunday (December 29, 2024) after it skid off a runway at a South Korean airport and slammed into a concrete fence when its front landing gear apparently failed to deploy, killing at least 85 people,” officials said, in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters.
The National Fire Agency said the fire was almost put out but officials were still trying to pull people from the Jeju Air passenger plane carrying 181 people at the airport in the town of Muan, about 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul.
Emergency workers pulled out two people — one passenger and one crew member. It said it deployed 32 fire trucks and several helicopters to contain the fire.
Footage of the crash aired by YTN television showed the Jeju Air plane skidding across the airstrip, apparently with its landing gear still closed, and colliding head-on with a concrete wall on the outskirts of the facility. The transport ministry said the incident happened at 9:03 am local time.
Emergency officials said they were examining the cause of the fire. They said the plane’s landing gear appeared to have malfunctioned. The Transport Ministry said the plane was returning from Bangkok and its passengers include two Thai nationals.
It’s one of the deadliest disasters in South Korea’s aviation history. The last time South Korea suffered a large-scale air disaster was in 1997, when an Korean Airline plane crashed in Guam, killing 228 people on board.
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December 29, 2024 09:42
Death toll has risen to 85
South Korea’s fire agency says that 85 people are dead after a plane caught fire during a landing at an airport in the country’s south.
– AP
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December 29, 2024 09:36
Fire extinguished at South Korea plane site
A local fire chief said that the fire has been already extinguished at South Korea plane crash site on Saturday (December 29, 2024).
– Reuters
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December 29, 2024 09:32
Thailand PM orders immediate assistance to Thai passengers in the crash
The Transport Ministry said the plane was returning from Bangkok and its passengers include two Thai nationals.
Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, expressed deep condolences to the families of those affected by the accident through a post on social platform X.
Ms. Paetongtarn said she had ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide assistance immediately.
– AP
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December 29, 2024 09:16
Jeju Air says ‘sincerely apologises’ after fatal South Korea plane crash
Low-cost carrier Jeju Air apologised Sunday (December 29, 2024) and vowed to do all it could to help after its plane carrying 181 people from Bangkok to South Korea crashed on arrival, killing scores.
“We at Jeju Air will do everything in our power in response to this accident. We sincerely apologise for causing concern,” the airline said in a statement posted on its social media channels.
– AFP
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December 29, 2024 09:08
Domestic, international flights cancelled at Muan airport
Following plane crash, all domestic and international flights got cancelled at Muan airport on Saturday (December 29, 2024), reported news agency Yonhap.
– Reuters
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December 29, 2024 09:00
South Korean plane with 181 passengers catches fire at Muan airport
“A plane caught fire Sunday (December 29, 2024) at a southern South Korean airport after its landing gear malfunctioned,” the emergency office said.
The office said the fire was put out and rescue officials were trying to remove passengers from the plane at the airport in the South Korean city of Muan.
The fire engulfed the aircraft carrying 181 people when it skidded off the runway just after landing and struck a barrier. Yonhap news agency said the plane was returning from Bangkok.
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Published – December 29, 2024 08:56 am IST
