The Boeing 737 caught fire when it skidded off the runway and crashed into a fence just after landing. The presumed cause of the accident was a failure of the chassis.
The death toll from a plane crash at South Korea’s Muan International Airport on Sunday has risen to 62, officials there said. TASR informs about it according to the reports of Jonhap and AP agencies.
According to the fire department, two people have been saved so far – one passenger and one crew member. 25 men and 37 women died in the accident, writes CNN. A total of 181 passengers, including six crew members, were on board the plane heading from Bangkok. The Ministry of Transport said two Thai nationals were among the passengers and the others are believed to be South Koreans.
The Boeing 737 caught fire when it skidded off the runway and crashed into a fence just after landing. The suspected cause of the accident was a chassis failure, the authorities announced.
According to CNN, rescuers are focusing on the people in the back of the plane. A fire service official said the plane was “almost completely destroyed” by the fire.
Footage broadcast by local TV stations shows the plane skidding down the runway, apparently with its landing gear closed, and crashing head-on into a concrete wall at the edge of the airport complex.
Acting President Che Sang-mok called for the mobilization of all resources to save the passengers. “All relevant agencies… must mobilize all available resources to rescue personnel,” he ordered officials in a statement, AFP reports. At the same time, the president’s office announced that Čechce is calling an extraordinary meeting with members of the government to discuss rescue operations.
All flights to Muan Airport were canceled after the accident, CNN adds.
