At least 28 dead in aircraft crash in South Korea

December 29, 2024
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SEOUL: A tragic aircraft accident in South Korea has claimed the lives of at least 28 people after an airliner skidded off the runway and crashed into a wall at Muan International Airport on Sunday, according to Yonhap news agency.

The incident occurred as a Jeju Air flight, carrying 175 passengers and six crew members from Bangkok, Thailand, was attempting to land at the airport in the southern part of the country, Reuters reported.

Two survivors were found, and rescue operations were ongoing, said a fire official from Muan. However, the official could not confirm the reported death toll of 28.

Footage released by local media showed the twin-engine aircraft sliding down the runway, seemingly without functioning landing gear, before crashing into a wall in a massive explosion of flames and debris, Reuters added.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok, appointed as the interim leader following the impeachment of the previous acting president amid a political crisis, has ordered full-scale rescue operations, according to his office.

(Reuters contributed to this report)