Breaking News: Plane Crash at Muan International Airport Claims lives, 85 Confirmed Dead
A Boeing 737-8AS passenger plane carrying 181 people aboard, including 175 passengers and 6 crew members, overshot the runway and crashed into a wall at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, on Sunday, December 29. The incident occurred around 09:07 local time (01:07 GMT), with at least 85 people confirmed dead, and two crew members rescued alive.
The plane, operated by South Korean airline Jeju Air, was en route from Bangkok, Thailand, and had 173 South Korean and 2 Thai passengers on board. According to Yonhap News Agency, a local newspaper in South Korea, the tragedy took place due to a suspected malfunction in the plane’s landing gear. The aircraft initially attempted to land but went off the runway, skidded, and smashed into a wall before bursting into flames.
Emergency services rushed to the scene to extinguish the blaze and recover victims from the wreckage. Rescue efforts were ongoing to reach the plane’s tail section where some passengers might still be trapped.
The incident has led to the temporary suspension of all flights to and from Muan International Airport. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
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Image credits:
- Associated Press
- Yonhap via Reuters
- Newsis via AP
