A plane carrying 181 passengers has crashed in Muan, South Korea. There were 181 people on board the plane, including six crew members, returning from Bangkok. It is unlikely that any other passengers, except for two, survived the accident that saw a Jeju Air plane skid off the runway during landing.
The plane caught fire after hitting a wall.
So far, 94 people have been confirmed dead, while one crew member and one passenger have been rescued alive and sent to a local hospital for treatment. The accident occurred when a Jeju Air plane skidded off the runway and hit a wall while landing at Muan International Airport in Muan County, South Jeolla Province, about 288 kilometers southwest of Seoul. All but two of the missing people who were rescued from the crash are presumed dead, fire officials said.
Officials have confirmed that 94 people have died in the accident so far. “Passengers were evacuated from the plane after it hit a wall. The health condition of the two passengers who were rescued alive is also critical,” said a fire department official.
“The plane is almost completely destroyed and it is difficult to identify the deceased,” the official said. He said, “We are currently in the process of removing the burnt bodies, which will take some time.” One passenger and one crew member were rescued after the accident and are being treated at a hospital in Mokpo.
Most of the passengers on the plane were Koreans, except for two Thai citizens. Video broadcast by local TV stations showed the plane attempting to land without its landing gear in place. The plane skidded to the ground, hit a concrete wall, exploded, and burst into flames.
According to officials, initial speculation is that the crash may have been caused by a landing gear failure due to a bird strike. An on-site investigation has been launched to find out more details about the cause of the crash. South Jeolla authorities have activated emergency services at the highest level and deployed all available rescue and police personnel to the accident site.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok visited the crash site around noon and inspected the scene. He expressed his deepest condolences to the bereaved family and instructed officials to make every effort to carry out the search.
