At least 177 killed in South Korea as plane crashes on landing

At least 177 persons were killed after a passenger plane caught fire upon skidding off a runway and crashing at South Korea’s Muan International Airport on Sunday, reported The Guardian.

The crash occurred at around 9.07 am as Jeju Air flight 7C2216, carrying 175 passengers and six crew members from the Thai capital Bangkok, was landing at the airport in the south of the country, reported Reuters.

Quoting unidentified officials, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported that all but the two persons rescued – both crew members – are presumed to have been killed.

Operations to retrieve the bodies are underway.

“After the plane collided with the wall, passengers were thrown out of the aircraft,” an unidentified firefighting official was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency. “The chances of survival are extremely low.”

The official added: “The aircraft has almost completely been destroyed, and it is difficult to identify the deceased.”

The accident possibly occurred due to a failure in the plane’s landing gear as a result of a bird strike, according to the news agency. An investigation has started to determine the cause of the crash.

South Korean acting President Choi Sang-mok, who took over as the interim leader of the country on Friday, has directed officials to make “all-out efforts for search operations”.

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