At least 47 dead at Muan airport

A plane carrying 181 passengers crashed at an airport in South Korea, killing at least 47 people, according to the South Korean fire department.

The plane veered off the runway and crashed into a wall at Muan International Airport in the southwest of the country, Yonhap news agency reported.

The Jeju Air plane, which was carrying 175 passengers and six flight attendants, was reportedly flying back from Bangkok, Thailand, and the accident occurred during landing.

So far two people have been found alive and rescue operations are still underway, a fire official told Reuters.

Rescue workers were trying to save people in the back of the plane, an airport official said.

The passengers on board included 173 South Koreans and two Thais, Yonhap reports.

The cause of the crash is still unknown, but local media reported that the cause may have been birds becoming entangled in the plane’s systems.

Unconfirmed footage uploaded to social media shows the plane veering off the runway and crashing into a wall before part of it bursts into flames.

Other images show a large cloud of black smoke rising into the sky.

So far, one flight attendant and one passenger have been rescued, the South Korean fire department said in a statement, adding that 80 firefighters and more than 30 fire engines were deployed to the crash site.