At least 47 people died this Sunday after a plane skidded off the runway and crashed into a fence after landing at Muan International Airport, in the South Korean province of South Jeolla, around 288 kilometers southwest of Seoul, according to reported Kang Won-sik, a spokesman for the national fire agency quoted by the Yonhap agency. At least two people – both crew members – have been rescued alive as rescue teams continue to search for survivors.
The accident occurred after 9:00 a.m. local time when the Jeju Air plane, which was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members on a flight from , the capital of Thailand, was landing at the airport in the south of the country, according to the report. The Thai foreign minister has said that at least two of the plane’s occupants are from that country.
shared by local media showed the twin-engine plane sliding down the runway without landing gear before crashing into a wall in an explosion of flames and debris. In other photos you can see smoke and fire engulfing parts of the plane. According to those images, the back was the most affected.
South Korean interim president Choi Sang-mok, who took office last Friday in the middle of the crisis, has asked to direct all necessary efforts to rescue efforts, according to his office. His chief of staff has called an emergency meeting.
News in development…
