Yonhap reported that at 9:07 a.m. on December 29 local time, a Jeju Air flight carrying 181 people from Bangkok (Thailand) crashed at Muan International Airport, about 288 km southwest of Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
AFP quoted fire official Lee Hyeon-ji as saying that the plane skidded off the runway, hit a fence and burst into flames, killing at least 47 people and injuring many others. The death toll could rise as many of the injured were in critical condition.
According to authorities, the landing incident occurred after the plane's landing gear system failed. This forced the crew to make an emergency landing after failing on the first landing attempt.
Witnesses said there were signs that the landing gear had not deployed properly, preventing the plane from slowing down. Initial theories suggested that a collision with a bird could have caused the technical failure.
At least 29 people were killed, with bodies found mostly in the tail section of the plane. Three people were rescued, including one passenger and one crew member, while the number of injured is being updated.
The plane was severely damaged and caught fire, the fire was extinguished after 43 minutes by 80 firefighters.
Most of the passengers on the plane were South Korean, except for two Thai citizens.
Search and rescue operations are still underway. Acting President Choi Sang-mok has directed all forces to focus on rescuing the victims and personally went to the scene.
The presidential office also convened an emergency meeting at 11:30 a.m., chaired by Chief of Staff Chung Jin-suk, to come up with a comprehensive response plan.
Acting National Police Commissioner Lee Ho-young ordered the mobilization of all resources in coordination with rescue forces to provide maximum support at the scene.
The tragedy at Muan Airport has raised alarm bells about aviation safety in South Korea. The landing gear failure, possibly caused by a bird strike, has raised many questions about preventive measures and technical maintenance in the aviation industry.
