A Jeju Air flight carrying 181 people faced a catastrophic incident at an airport in southern South Korea on Sunday. The plane, reportedly experiencing a landing gear malfunction, veered off the runway, struck a fence, and caught fire. Tragically, all expect two passengers lost their lives, according to emergency officials. Authorities said the plane with about 181 people was returning from Bangkok.
Local fire authorities confirmed the rescue of two crew members, a man and a woman, from the tail section of a plane that crashed in South Korea. The fire at the crash site has been successfully extinguished. Investigations are underway, with bird strikes and adverse weather conditions being considered as potential causes for the incident, according to the local fire chief. It is the deadliest air accident involving a South Korean airline in nearly three decades, according to ministry data.
According to Yonhap, citing fire agency reports, numerous casualties occurred as passengers fell from the aircraft’s body during the incident. Authorities were focusing efforts on rescuing individuals trapped in the tail section of the aircraft, an airport official told Reuters.
Chilling videos of the accident have surfaced on social media, showing the aircraft moving along the runway before suddenly erupting into a fireball following an explosion.
Photos from local media revealed the aircraft engulfed in smoke and flames. A spokesperson for Jeju Air stated the airline is investigating the incident reports.
Acting President Choi Sung-mok, who recently assumed leadership amid a political crisis, has ordered full-scale rescue operations, according to a statement from his office.
Jeju Air CEO apologises for plane crash, takes ‘full responsibility’
The CEO of South Korean airline Jeju Air, Kim E-bae, issued an apology to the victims of Sunday’s tragic plane crash, which claimed at least 85 lives. In a brief media statement, he emphasized that providing support to the grieving families was the airline’s top priority at this moment. “Regardless of the cause, I take full responsibility as the CEO,” Kim said.
In a statement, the company said, “Jeju Air will spare no effort to respond to the accident.” “We are currently working to determine the exact cause and details of the situation,” a company official said. “The aircraft has been in operation for 15 years with no history of accidents,” Yonhap reported.
Boeing offers condolences after deadly crash
Boeing expressed its condolences and confirmed it is in communication with South Korea’s Jeju Air following the tragic crash of an airliner on Sunday. The incident involved a Boeing 737-800, as reported by Jeju Air.