An aircraft carrying 181 occupants which include six crew members has crashed at Muan International Airport in South Korea killing 179 aboard, with two survivors, both of whom are flight crew members.
Penpushing reports that South Korea’s National Fire Agency confirmed the incident, involving the Boeing 737-800 flight, operated by local airline Jeju Air, an ugly development which is one of the country’s worst aviation disasters.
The airline was arriving from Bangkok, Thailand, and on landing on Sunday at about 9:00 a.m. local time went up in flames, while the images shared on social media captured the severity of the incident, followed by thick plumes of black smoke billowing from the plane.
Penpushing further reports that in the image another depicted the jet’s tail section consumed by flames near the runway, surrounded by firefighters and emergency response teams, and following the sad incident all domestic and international flights from Muan International Airport were cancelled.
The South Korea’s Acting President, Choi Sang-Mok, in a statement has, however, declared the scene a special disaster zone, making the central government’s funding available to the local government and victims.
“We have a grave situation where a great loss of life occurred after a plane went off the runway in Muan airport this morning. I express my deepest condolences to the many victims in the incident. I will do all I can for the injured to quickly recover. I give my condolences to the victims and give my sincere regards to the bereaved families’, Sang-Mok said.
Penpushing also reports that both the airline and Boeing, the plane’s manufacturer, have offered their condolences, while Boeing said it is in touch with South Korea’s Jeju Air after the deadly crash.
The neighbouring Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, has extended heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragic plane crash, while the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had been directed to investigate whether any Thai nationals were aboard the aircraft and to provide immediate assistance if necessary.
Penpushing reports that as at the time of the crash, the local airline, Jeju Air, has apologised for the crash and pledged to do everything in our power to respond to this accident, while record showed that this was the first fatal incident for the airline since it began operations in 2005.
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