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Air tragedy in South Korea: Jeju Air flight crashes in Muan, 179 dead

A Jeju Air flight from Bangkok crashes on landing at Muan airport. Update: 179 dead from the flight, only two attendants were extracted alive from the wreckage of the aircraft

A serious plane crash rocked South Korea today when a Jeju Air flight carrying 175 passengers and six crew members crashed at Muan International Airport, catching fire after going off the runway. Local authorities, quoted by the Yonhap news agency, believe that most of the 181 people on board died. At the moment, 85 deaths have been confirmed, while two people were miraculously rescued.

The plane, coming from Bangkok, crashed into a fence during landing, probably due to a bird strike. The two survivors, a passenger and a flight attendant, were immediately transported to hospital. One of the survivors reported having noticed smoke coming from one of the engines shortly before the accident.

Eyewitnesses on the ground confirmed seeing flames coming out of one of the turbines and hearing several loud bangs. Local authorities are speculating that the accident may have been caused by a bird strike that would have compromised the proper functioning of the landing gear.

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