A devastating plane crash occurred on Sunday morning at Muan International Airport in South Korea, leaving 179 passengers and crew members presumed dead.
The Jeju Air Boeing 737-800, carrying 181 people from Bangkok, attempted an emergency landing after reporting a failure of its landing gear.
Witnesses described hearing loud “bang” sounds as the aircraft hit the airport’s perimeter wall, splitting into two sections and igniting. Footage aired by local broadcaster MBC suggests a possible bird strike as the plane descended.
Two survivors, a passenger and a crew member, were rescued from the tail section and are currently being treated at a nearby hospital. Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the crash.
If confirmed, the fatalities would make this South Korea’s worst domestic civil aviation disaster and the first major casualty event involving a low-cost carrier in the nation.
The country’s aviation industry has experienced significant tragedies in the past, including the 1993 Asiana Airlines crash in Mokpo, which claimed 68 lives, and a 2002 Air China crash near Gimhae Airport that resulted in 129 fatalities.
Source: New Zealand Herald
