A catastrophic plane crash occurred in South Korea, resulting in a massive fire and the loss of nearly all passengers and crew on board. The commercial aircraft, carrying 181 people, veered off the runway at Muan International Airport on a Sunday morning, erupting into a fireball. According to local media, only two individuals survived the disaster.
The ill-starred Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 was arriving from Thailand when the landing gear malfunctioned around 9 am, leading to a crash landing. Eyewitness accounts and video footage revealed the plane skidding uncontrollably past the runway’s end before bursting into flames. Officials reported that only two individuals were pulled from the burning wreckage.
The aircraft was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members. The majority of the victims were discovered in the tail section of the plane, which was the primary focus of the initial rescue efforts. All passengers were South Korean, with the exception of two Thai nationals.
In response to the catastrophe, 80 firefighters were dispatched to the scene to rescue passengers and extinguish the fire. By 9:46 am local time, the fire was reported to be under control.
The plane’s landing attempt was fraught with difficulties. Before the crash landing, the flight had attempted one landing but was forced to abort and circle for a second attempt when the landing gear failed to lower normally. This procedure, known as a “go-around,” is a standard aviation protocol.
The cause of the landing gear failure is currently under investigation. Authorities are considering the possibility that a bird strike may have caused the malfunction, according to local news sources. In response to the tragedy, South Korea’s acting-president, Choi Sang-mok, has ordered a large-scale rescue operation and convened an emergency meeting on Sunday morning.