International

South Korea: Plane carrying 181 passengers crashes upon landing.

Hoang Bach December 29, 2024 09:58

According to Yonhap news agency, police and firefighters said at least 28 people were killed and many others are believed to have been injured after a South Korean civilian aircraft carrying 181 people crashed at an airport in the southwest of the country on the morning of December 29.

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Firefighters work to extinguish a fire from an aircraft that veered off the runway at Muan International Airport in Muan County, Jeolla Nam Province, South Korea, on December 29. Photo: Yonhap

The accident occurred at 9:07 a.m. when a Jeju Air flight veered off the runway during landing and struck a fence at Musan International Airport, located in Muan County, about 288 kilometers southwest of Seoul.

Authorities confirmed 28 people died in the crash — all found in the tail section of the plane — and the death toll is likely to rise. Two people were rescued alive.

The accident caused serious damage to the aircraft and resulted in a fire.

There were a total of 181 people, including 6 crew members, on the flight returning from Bangkok. Most passengers were South Koreans, with the exception of 2 Thai citizens.

Authorities have extinguished the initial fire and said search and rescue operations are underway at the accident site.

They also began an on-site investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident.

Hoang Bach