extreme gaming 88 South Korea Plane Crash: 179 Dead After Plane Skids Off Runway At Muan International Airport; 2 Rescued

Firefighters and rescue team members work on the runway of Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. Photo: AP Firefighters and rescue team members work on the runway of Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. Photo: AP

A deadly plane crash at Muan International Airport on Sunday morning has left 179 dead, news agency Associated Press said, after a Jeju Air passenger plane caught fire following a runway skid, South-Korean news portal Yonhap reported quoting firefighters. The crash, one of South Korea's deadliest aviation disasters, occurred when the aircraft’s front landing gear failed to deploy, causing it to slam into a concrete barrier.

As per the South Korean National Fire Agency, a total of 179 people — 85 women, 84 men and 10 others whose genders weren’t immediately identifiable — died in the fire.

The accident took place at approximately 9:03 am local time, with the plane carrying 181 passengers and crew members on board. The flight, originating from Bangkok, Thailand, had been returning to South Korea when the disaster struck.

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According to the fire agency the fire was nearly extinguished by late Sunday afternoon, but emergency responders were still working to remove passengers and crew from the burning wreckage.

The flight crew and emergency teams managed to pull two survivors from the plane: one passenger and one crew member, Yonhap reported.

In response, authorities deployed 32 fire trucks and several helicopters to tackle the flames and support rescue operations.

Plane’s landing gear malfunction leads to crash

Footage of the incident aired by South Korean television network YTN showed the Jeju Air aircraft skidding across the runway, with its landing gear apparently still retracted. The plane then collided head-on with a concrete barrier on the outskirts of Muan International Airport, located about 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul.

Thick plumes of black smoke could be seen rising from the crash site as the aircraft became engulfed in flames. Firefighters and rescue teams worked tirelessly in difficult conditions to contain the fire and assist survivors.

Emergency officials have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, with early reports suggesting a malfunction of the plane's landing gear.

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South Korea's Ministry of Transport confirmed that the aircraft had been returning from Bangkok, and that among the passengers were two Thai nationals.

South Korea’s worst air disaster since 1997

The crash marks one of the deadliest aviation incidents in South Korean history. The last major air disaster in the country occurred in 1997 when a Korean Air flight crashed in Guam, killing 228 people aboard. The Muan crash is expected to rank as one of the worst tragedies in the nation's aviation history.

The disaster comes at a time of political unrest in South Korea after a huge political crisis triggered by President Yoon Suk Yeol's stunning imposition of martial law and ensuing impeachment. Last Friday, South Korean lawmakers lawmakers impeached acting President Han Duck-soo last Friday and suspended his duties, making Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok to take over. 

In response to the tragedy, now-Acting President Choi, now acting presidentextreme gaming 88, ordered a full mobilization of resources for the rescue efforts. President Yoon's office confirmed that his chief secretary, Chung Jin-suk, would oversee an emergency meeting to coordinate the national response to the crash. Yoon's office said his chief secretary, Chung Jin-suk, will preside over an emergency meeting between senior presidential staff later on Sunday to discuss the crash.