Fire Agency: "47 Dead, 2 Rescued in Muan Airport Passenger Plane Accident"

A passenger plane carrying 181 passengers collided with the outer wall of the runway while landing at Muan International Airport in Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do, causing a fire that has resulted in 47 deaths so far. Most of the fuselage was burned, and the number of casualties is expected to increase significantly.

On the morning of the 29th, a plane landing at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do veered off the runway, prompting the fire department to dispatch and carry out extinguishing operations. / Photo by Yonhap News

According to the Fire Department on the 29th, at around 9:03 a.m., a Jeju Air flight 7C2216 from Bangkok, Thailand, was reported to have crashed while attempting to land on the runway at Muan International Airport.

The aircraft's fuselage was broken in half after colliding with the outer wall of the runway and was engulfed in flames. The aircraft involved was a B737-800, carrying a total of 181 people, including 175 passengers and 6 crew members. Of the 175 passengers, 173 were Korean, and the remaining 2 were tentatively classified as Thai nationals.

The fire authorities completed initial extinguishing efforts around 9:46 a.m. and have so far rescued 2 injured persons by inspecting from the rear of the aircraft. The number of confirmed deaths is 47. Considering the passengers in the front and middle sections of the fuselage, the total number of casualties is expected to be higher.

The police and fire authorities are investigating the exact cause of the accident, which is believed to have been triggered by the aircraft's landing gear failing to deploy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.