Witnesses to a plane crash in South Korea on Sunday said they noticed flames in the plane’s engine. and heard an explosion, according to the report.
g Jeju Air flights It skidded off the runway at Maun International Airport in Maun, about 190 miles south of Seoul, and crashed into a concrete fence. As a result, at least 176 people died, the Associated Press reported, citing the country’s National Fire Administration (NFA).
Authorities are investigating a landing gear failure that may have occurred due to a bird strike as a possible cause of the crash. According to a report by Yonhap news agency
The video shows the plane attempting to land without landing gear.
A plane overturned on an airport runway in South Korea and caused an accident. Killed at least 176 people: report
Firefighters extinguished the plane, which took off at Maun International Airport in Maan, South Jeolla Province. South Korea on December 29, 2024 (Yonhap via REUTERS)
The flight was carrying 181 passengers. The accident occurred at approximately 9:03 a.m. local time. Emergency personnel pulled two crew members to safety. Health officials said he was conscious and not in a life-threatening situation. While there are still 3 people missing.
South Korea’s Ministry of Transport said the plane was a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 that was returning from Bangkok in Thailand.
“We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding flight 2216 and stand ready to provide support,” Boeing said in a statement. “We offer our deepest condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones. And we continue to mourn the passengers and crew.”
One witness, Yoo Jae-yong, 41, was staying in a rented house near the airport. Said he saw sparks on the plane’s right wing before the incident. According to a report by Yonhap news agency
“I told my family there was a problem with the plane when I heard a loud explosion,” Yu said.
Firefighters extinguished the plane, which took off at Maun International Airport in Maan, South Jeolla Province. South Korea on December 29, 2024 (Yonhap via REUTERS)
Another witness, identified only by his last name, Cho, told the outlet that he was walking 4.5 kilometers, or about 2.8 miles, from the airport when the plane crashed into the concrete wall at the end of the runway.
“I saw the plane going down. They thought they were about to land when they noticed a flash of light,” Cho said. “Then there was a loud bang followed by smoke in the air. And I heard several explosions.”
Kim Young Chol, 70, said the plane was unable to land on the first attempt. and had to circle back to try again before the plane crashed.
Kim said he heard two “metal scraping” sounds about five minutes before the accident. He also said he looked up into the sky and observed the plane taking off after failing to land. before hearing a “loud explosion” and noticing “Black smoke rose into the sky.”
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This screenshot is from a video taken near Maun International Airport. It shows black smoke rising into the air from the airport in Maun. South Jeolla Province South Korea on December 29, 2024 (Yonhap via REUTERS)
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The 50-year-old witness, identified by his last name Jung, was fishing nearby. when he said he noticed a flock of birds colliding with the plane. This resulted in a fire in the right engine.
“As the plane lands on the runway “I heard two or three loud bangs as if the birds were being sucked into the engine. before seeing flames coming out of the correct engine.”
Keerati Kitmanawat, Director of the Airports Authority of Thailand stated in a statement that The plane departed from Suvarnabhumi Airport. There were no reports of abnormal conditions on the plane or on the runway.
Jeju Air said in a statement that it had It “deeply apologizes” for the incident and will do its “utmost to deal with the consequences of the accident.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
