Aircraft erupts in flames after skidding off runway in South Korea’s worst plane crash in years: 176 perish

A passenger plane erupted in flames on Sunday after skidding off a runway at a South Korean airport and crashing into a concrete barrier, reportedly due to the failure of its front landing gear to deploy. The tragedy claimed the lives of most of the 181 people on board, marking one of South Korea’s deadliest aviation disasters.

The National Fire Agency reported that rescuers rushed to the scene at the Muan airport, located around 290 kilometers south of Seoul, to evacuate passengers from the Jeju Air aircraft.

According to the Transport Ministry, the incident involved a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet returning from Bangkok. The crash occurred at 9:03 am local time.

The fire agency confirmed that 176 individuals—83 women, 82 men, and 11 whose genders were not immediately identified—perished in the ensuing fire. Two survivors, both crew members, were pulled to safety by emergency responders and are in stable condition, according to health officials. Three people remained unaccounted for nearly nine hours after the crash.

To tackle the blaze, the fire agency deployed 32 fire trucks and several helicopters, with about 1,560 personnel, including firefighters, police officers, soldiers, and other officials, dispatched to the scene.

Footage broadcast by South Korean television showed the Jeju Air plane speeding down the runway with its landing gear seemingly retracted. The aircraft overran the runway and collided head-on with a concrete wall, triggering a massive explosion.

Additional footage captured thick plumes of black smoke rising from the burning aircraft, which was entirely engulfed in flames.