South Korea plane carrying 181 people skids off runway and explodes, killing all but two: report
A commercial jet carrying 181 people skidded off a runway at an airport in South Korea and burst into a massive fireball, killing all but two, who somehow miraculously survived the horrifying aviation disaster, according to South Korean media.
The Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 airplane was arriving from Thailand at Muan International Airport in the south of the Asian nation on Sunday morning when its landing gear failed to extend just after 9 am and it wound up belly flopping onto the ground.
It was then seen sliding out of control past the runway’s end and exploding in a ball of flame, according to media reports and video of the incident.
All aboard, except for two who were rescued from the smoldering fuselage, are presumed dead, officials said, according to the Yonhap News Agency. The souls aboard included 175 passengers and six crew.
Officials say that one man and one woman were rescued and they suffered severe injuries from the crash.
First responders had put an emphasis on trying to rescue those that were located in the tail of the plane, which is where most of the casualties were initially found, according to Yonhap.
All passengers were South Korean nationals, except for two Thai nationals, Yonhap reports.
Eighty firefighters arrived on scene to rescue passengers and put out flames with officials saying they were able to get control of the fire at 9:46 am local time.
Jarring posted on X shows the crash as it happens — the plane seeming to land on its belly, sparks and smoke flying from the runway, before it crashes and explodes in a fiery mass.
The engines of the plane seem to glow bright red, nearly white, from the friction with the tarmac.
The flight had attempted one landing prior to the crash landing attempt but was forced to “go-around” when the landing gear failed to lower normally, The Guardian reports.
A “go-around” is standard aviation procedure that calls for pilots to abort their landing attempt, circle, and reattempt a landing.
The cause of the landing gear failure is under investigation, with theories that a bird strike caused the malfunction currently being considered by authorities, according to news agency Yonhap.
A passenger on the tragic flight sent a text message to a relative saying a bird struck the wing, agency News1 reports, according to Reuters.
Jeju Airlines offered condolences in a statement put online.
“Jeju Air deeply bows in apology to all those affected by the Muan Airport accident. Our first priority is to do everything possible to manage this incident. We sincerely apologize for causing concern,” the airline wrote in an Instagram post.
South Korea named a new acting president Friday.
President Choi Sang-mok has ordered a massive rescue mobilization and will convene an emergency meeting Sunday morning, Yonhap reports.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra took to X to express his sympathies.
“I want to sent my condolences to the families of those who died and injured. I have instructed the foreign ministry to check whether there are Thai nationals on board, what the situation is now and to give assistance immediately,” Shinawatra wrote.
