Breaking: Plane Explodes After Skidding Off Runway in South Korea, 176 Dead

A passenger plane caught fire on Sunday after it skidded off a runway at an airport in South Korea, crashing into a concrete wall. The incident, caused by a possible failure of the plane’s front landing gear, resulted in the deaths of most of the 181 people onboard, making it one of the deadliest aviation disasters in South Korean history.

The crash occurred at the Muan airport, located about 290 kilometers south of Seoul. The plane, a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800, was returning from Bangkok when the accident happened at 9:03 a.m. According to the National Fire Agency, at least 176 people, including 83 women and 82 men, were confirmed dead in the ensuing fire. Two crew members were rescued and are reportedly in stable condition. Three individuals were still missing after several hours of rescue operations.

Rescuers, including 1,560 firefighters, police, and soldiers, worked tirelessly to contain the blaze and assist survivors. Emergency crews deployed 32 fire trucks and helicopters to help with the operation. Footage of the crash showed the plane sliding across the runway, apparently with its landing gear still retracted. After overrunning the runway, it collided with a concrete wall, sparking a massive explosion.

The fire chief at Muan airport stated that the plane was completely destroyed, leaving only the tail section intact. Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the crash, with initial theories including a potential bird strike. Authorities noted that the control tower had issued a bird strike warning shortly before the incident. They also confirmed that the pilot had issued a distress signal before the crash.

Flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the plane have been recovered and will be analyzed as part of the investigation. The Muan airport runway has been closed until January 1 for further examination.

The passengers included two Thai nationals, and Thailand’s prime minister expressed condolences and pledged assistance to the victims’ families. Jeju Air, the airline operating the flight, offered a deep apology and vowed to manage the aftermath of the tragedy. In a public statement, the airline’s president took full responsibility for the crash, stating that no mechanical issues had been reported following the aircraft’s regular maintenance.

The crash is one of the worst in South Korea’s aviation history, rivaling previous disasters such as the 1997 Korean Air crash that killed 228 people and the 2013 Asiana Airlines accident in San Francisco. Internationally, it is one of the worst landing accidents in recent years.

As the nation grapples with this tragedy, it is also in the midst of a political crisis, with the president facing impeachment and martial law. The crisis added another layer of complexity to the emergency response, with senior government officials coordinating efforts to address the disaster.