A Jeju Air flight carrying 181 people crashed at South Korea’s Muan International Airport on Sunday morning, killing at least 28 and leaving two others critically injured, according to Yonhap news agency.
The flight, which originated from Bangkok in Thailand, veered off the runway and struck a fence while attempting to land at 9:07 a.m. local time at the southwestern coastal airport, authorities said.
The aircraft burst into flames on impact, with smoke and fire engulfing parts of the plane, as shown in images and videos shared on social media.
“There were 175 passengers and six crew members aboard the plane,” Yonhap reported, adding that 173 passengers were South Koreans and two were Thai nationals.
Emergency responders have recovered two survivors and the search for additional victims is ongoing.
Acting President Choi Sung-mok, who assumed leadership on Friday amidst massive political upheaval, directed government agencies to prioritise rescue efforts.
This marks the first major incident at Muan International Airport, a crucial regional hub in South Jeolla province. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash, reported Yonhap. According to local media reports, the plane’s landing gear malfunctioned.
The incident follows a turbulent week for global aviation. On December 25, an Azerbaijan Airlines jet crash-landed near Aktau in Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 on board.
The plane is believed to have come under fire from Russian air defence en route to the Chechen capital of Grozny – forcing it to divert. Russian President Vladimir Putin later apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart over the downing of the commercial airliner in Russian airspace.