Plane accident: At least 120 dead in crash on runway

After the failed landing of a passenger plane in South Korea with 181 people on board, the authorities have again revised the number of victims upwards. As the fire department announced on Sunday, the number of confirmed fatalities has now risen to at least 120, meaning only two people survived the accident. The plane of the South Korean low-cost airline Jeju had an accident coming from Bangkok on Sunday morning (local time) while attempting to land at the southwestern Muan Airport.

The cause of the accident is suspected to be “contact with birds in conjunction with unfavorable weather conditions,” local fire chief Lee Jeong Hyun told reporters. At the same time, the authorities dampened hopes of finding further survivors.

According to the South Korean Ministry of Transport, the plane was on its way from Bangkok in Thailand to South Korea when it crashed while attempting to land in Muan around 9:03 a.m. (local time, 1:03 a.m. CET). According to the ministry, there were 175 passengers and six crew members on board the plane. Two passengers are Thai citizens.

According to the Yonhap report, the ill-fated plane presumably collided with birds during its landing approach. This therefore led to a “malfunction of the chassis”. Authorities have launched an on-site investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident, according to Yonhap.

A video broadcast by local television station MBC shows the Jeju Air plane crashing onto the runway at Muan Airport and smoke rising from the engines. The entire plane then quickly bursts into flames. According to the Flightradar website, the plane was a Boeing 737.

The rescue work continued. But the chance that other occupants could have survived the impact is “low,” said a statement from the fire department in Muan. “The passengers were ejected from the aircraft after it collided with the barrier, so the chances of survival are slim,” the statement said. The plane was “almost completely destroyed” in the crash landing.

So far, two people have been rescued from the wreckage as part of a rescue operation. According to the fire department, there are two crew members. It had previously been said that one of those rescued was a passenger.

Muan International Airport is located in Muan District, about 288 kilometers southwest of Seoul. The fire department said it had sent 32 fire engines and numerous firefighters to the scene of the accident. It was later said that the initial fire had now been extinguished.

One photo showed the tail of the plane engulfed in flames on the edge of the runway, while firefighters and rescue vehicles were deployed near the crashed plane. Interim President Choi Sang Mok called an emergency meeting with Cabinet members to discuss the rescue effort, according to his office.

Jeju Air apologized for the accident and assured its support in the investigation. The company said on online networks that it would “do everything” to respond to the accident.

It is the first fatal accident in the history of Jeju Air, founded in 2005 and one of the country’s largest low-cost airlines. In 2007, a Bombardier plane operated by Jeju Air with 74 passengers on board skidded off the runway at the southern Busan-Gimhae airport due to strong winds. A dozen people were injured at that time.