SEOUL, South Korea – Dozens of people have been killed in a fiery plane crash just off the tarmac at the Muan International Airport in South Korea, approximately 288 kilometers southwest of the capital, Seoul.
A Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 airliner carrying 181 people, including 175 passengers, and six crew, was en-route from Bangkok in Thailand to the Muan International Airport in Muan County, located in South Jeolla Province, when it crashed on Sunday morning. Early reports say the aircraft experienced a landing gear malfunction.
The Muan County fire department put the death toll at 62, after revising up from forty-seven, however this number was expected to rise.
Most on board were South Koreans, however the manifest included at least two Thai nationals.
The crash was compounded when the plane caught fire, trapping many on board, and making it difficult for rescuers.
Jeju Air is South Korea’s largest low-coast carrier. The airline which services a number of domestic routes also maintains flights to and from Southeast Asia, Japan and Oceania. The airline will mark its 20th anniversary on 25 January 2025.
Photo credit: Supplied by reader to Yonhap News Agency.