Another Plane Crash Kills Over 150 People In South Korea, 2 Rescued
A passenger jet crashed at an airport in southwestern South Korea, killing at least 47 people, according to the local fire department.
Two people were rescued from the crash site.
Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 from Bangkok was carrying 175 passengers and six crew when disaster struck at the airport in Muan County, just after 9 a.m. local time Sunday (7 p.m. ET Saturday). The accident was caused by a landing gear malfunction, officials said.
✈️🇰🇷 Update: At least 124 people have died and two were rescued after a Jeju Air passenger jet carrying 181 people erupted in flames as it went off the runway and hit a wall at an airport in South Korea's southwestern county of Muan on Sunday, – Yonhap https://t.co/yvDA4xfpOE pic.twitter.com/jzhBKwLyYy
— The Ukrainian Review (@UkrReview) December 29, 2024
Video showed firefighters using water cannons to extinguish the blazing wreckage of the aircraft, which was listed as a Boeing 737-800 on flight-tracking site FlightAware.
BREAKING: Jeju Air flight with 181 people on board has crashed at Muan International Airport in South Korea. Unfortunately all 179 passengers and crew have died, only 2 survived.
— حسن سجواني 🇦🇪 Hassan Sajwani (@HSajwanization) December 29, 2024
pic.twitter.com/ySvRwdqOxi
Several components of the airplane were also visible strewn across the runway and an earthen embarkment.
A fire department spokesman told CNN that the plane had been “almost completely destroyed” by fire.
The South Korean Land Ministry reported that two Thai nationals were among those on board.
Officers from South Korea’s Incident Investigation Committee arrived on scene at 10:10 a.m. (8.10 p.m. EST Saturday) and are investigating the cause of the accident, according to the land ministry.
The Korea Airports Corporation has cancelled all flights to Muan International Airport.
UPDATE: The death toll from Jeju Air's plane crash at South Korea's Muan airport rises to at least 167 people, in one of the worst aviation disasters to hit the country.
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) December 29, 2024
— in pictures https://t.co/mfY9zoAP9M pic.twitter.com/LboGnzYVFn
South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, has directed emergency responders to use “all available” equipment and staff to respond to the incident, according to a press release from the interior and Safety Ministry.
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Choi’s temporary presidency began only two days ago, and the tragedy is the latest chapter in South Korea’s political instability.
Korea’s current president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was stripped of his powers by parliament two weeks ago, following a brief martial law that threw the country into political chaos.
He is currently suspended while a higher court decides his fate.
Han Duck-soo, the man who replaced Yoon as interim president, was impeached by parliament on Friday, so Choi, the finance minister and deputy prime minister, took over for him.
Another Plane Crash Kills Over 150 People In South Korea, 2 Rescued
