At least 179 people are believed to have perished in a disaster at the Muan International Airport in South Korea on Sunday morning as claimed by local fire fighters. The tragedy occurred when a flight of Jeju Air coming from Bangkok tried its best to make the crash landing due to some technical problems. Even now, only one passenger, a woman, and one of the crew members have been pulled from the wreckage.
The Boeing 737-800, carrying 181 people, crashed at approximately 9:03 am local time during a belly landing attempt after its landing gear, on which it landed in the first place, allegedly malfunctioned. Survivors recall hearing five loud “explosions” before the aircraft hit the airport’s traversing fence and exploded into a fireball.
South Korea’s MBC station aired a number of clips indicating that a bird hit may have been the cause of the accident while the plane was approaching the airport. The footage posted on a social media platform shows the twin-engine plane skidding across the runway with no signs of gear and then bursting into flames upon running into a wall. Mishap pictures show the plane filled with thick smoke and smoldering while debris littered the field.
Firemen and rescuers are still frantically combing through the debris for survivors, but chances are slim to find more people alive. The two who survived were rescued from the debris at the rear part of the plane and were admitted to the hospital.
They are likely to make this accident one of the worst in South Korea in terms of both the number of victims and the severity of the accident, compared to previous similar incidents involving domestic airlines. It is also the first fatal crash of Jeju Air, a low-cost airline founded in South Korea in 2005 and is among the country’s largest.
However, in analyzing the causes, the aviation world is still mourning after the accident that drenched the Republic of South Korea’s skies with blood.
Join our whatsapp group for Latest updates