A plane burst into flames after skidding off the runway at a South Korean airport, killing at least 28 people on board, rescue officials said.
The fire engulfed the plane carrying 181 people when it veered off the runway shortly after landing and crashed into a fence. The emergency room reported that the landing gear appeared to be malfunctioning.
The National Fire Agency said the fire was almost extinguished, but officials were still trying to pull people from the Jeju Air passenger plane at the airport in the southern city of Muan.
The agency said at least 28 people died in the fire. Rescue workers pulled out two people – a passenger and a crew member. It said 32 fire engines and several helicopters were deployed to contain the fire.
Lee Hyeon-ji, a local fire official, told AFP the death toll had risen to 29 and suggested it could rise further.
“We have confirmed 29 deaths from the crash so far… but the number could rise due to the serious injuries,” Lee told AFP.
Yonhap via REUTERS
Yonhap News Agency reported the plane collided with a fence after veering off the runway. Rescue officials said they were investigating the cause of the fire. Local television stations broadcast footage showing thick clouds of black smoke rising from the plane engulfed in flames.
According to Reuters, acting South Korean President Choi Sang-mok has ordered a major rescue operation, his office said. Choi only became acting president on Fridaywho replaces the current incumbent President Han Duck-soo after Han’s removal from office. This is all happening in the wake of the crisis created by the government Dec. 3 Declaration of Martial Law by former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was also later indicted.
