A South Korean Air Busan Airbus was consumed by fire on Tuesday at Gimhae International Airport, located in the southern region of the country. The aircraft was preparing for takeoff to Hong Kong when the incident occurred, as reported by fire department officials. All 169 passengers and seven crew members were successfully evacuated, though three individuals suffered minor injuries.
The fire department was alerted to the fire, which originated from within the aircraft, shortly before 10:30 p.m. Local media reports suggest that the fire began in the tail section of the plane. Video footage aired by local media showed evacuation slides being deployed on both sides of the single-aisle aircraft, with emergency personnel combating smoke and flames from the jet.
Further footage revealed charred holes along the length of the aircraft’s fuselage roof. This incident follows closely on the heels of the deadliest aviation disaster in South Korean history, which occurred just a month ago. A Jeju Air plane from Bangkok crashed on the runway of Muan Airport during an emergency landing, with only two survivors out of the 181 passengers and crew members.
Air Busan, a budget airline, is a subsidiary of South Korea’s Asiana Airlines, which was acquired by Korean Air in December. Airbus, the plane’s manufacturer, has acknowledged the incident and stated that it is in communication with Air Busan.
The aircraft involved in the incident is a 17-year-old Airbus A321ceo model, with the tail number HL7763, according to the Aviation Safety Network, a reputable database managed by the Flight Safety Foundation. Neither Air Busan nor Asiana Airlines have issued a statement regarding the incident, and Korean Air has directed all inquiries to Air Busan.