47 believed dead, say South Korean fire authorities
Raphael Rashid
Fire authorities have identified 47 deaths from the Muan airport crash as of 11:40am local time, according to Newsis and Yonhap news agency, with officials warning the death toll could rise as bodies remain inside the aircraft’s fuselage.
Two survivors, one passenger and one crew member, have reportedly been rescued and are receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.
The crash occurred when the Jeju Air flight from Bangkok, carrying 181 passengers and crew, attempted an emergency landing at around 9:03 am local time after reporting problems with its landing gear. Rescue teams continue to search the wreckage.
Key events
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Further images from Muan airport show firefighters and rescue workers responding.
Raphael Rashid
The Muan-Bangkok route was part of the airport’s first international services in 17 years, launched just three weeks ago on 8 December.
The expansion was part of a broader revival that would see the regional airport operate routes to 18 international destinations across nine countries this winter season, according to Yonhap News.
Raphael Rashid
According to Newsis, witnesses reported hearing loud “bang” sounds during the failed landing attempts, with the aircraft’s landing gear reportedly failing to deploy properly. The plane then veered off the runway and struck the airport’s perimeter wall, breaking into two pieces at the front and tail sections and bursting into flames. Emergency services have set up a temporary morgue at the site.
Raphael Rashid
Yonhap News reports that three people have been rescued so far, with the search underway for additional casualties, while News1 reports that among those rescued are one passenger and one crew member.
Local authorities say they are coordinating with major hospitals in Gwangju to handle potential casualties.
Raphael Rashid
The crash presents the first major test for the acting president, Choi Sang-mok, who assumed office on Friday after South Korea’s parliament voted to impeach the previous acting president, Han Duck-soo.
Han had been serving as interim leader following the impeachment of then president Yoon Suk Yeol earlier this month over his controversial martial law declaration. The short-lived declaration has roiled the country, with mass protests on Saturday calling for Yoon’s removal.
Among the 175 passengers aboard the flight from Bangkok, officials say 173 were Korean nationals and two were Thai nationals. There were six crew members.
The National Fire Agency sayst the initial fire was brought under control at 9.46am, 43 minutes after the first emergency call was received at 9.03am.
Summary
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Dozens are feared dead after a plane skidded off the runway while attempting a landing without landing gear at Muan international airport in South Korea on Sunday morning
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The exact casualty figures have not yet been tallied, though authorities are provisionally reporting that 28 people are believed to have died, according to news agency Newsis. Fire officials have warned that given the severe damage to the aircraft, the number of casualties could rise.
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Jeju Air flight 2216 from Bangkok to Muan was carrying 181 people – 175 passengers and six crew – when it came down, skidded along the runway and hit fencing and a wall around the perimeter before catching fire.
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Rescues are underway, with two people brought out of the wreckage so far. Emergency services are continuing their search operation.
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The Boeing 737-800 may have suffered a bird strike that caused the landing gear to fail, according news agency Yonhap. The flight had reportedly attempted one landing before being forced to “go-around” when the landing gear failed to lower normally.
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South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, has ordered “all available equipment and personnel to be mobilised” for the rescue operations at Muan international airport in the country’s south-west and is heading to the crash site, about 300km from the capital, Seoul.
Attempt made at ‘belly landing’ after landing gear failed, local media report
Raphael Rashid
The pilot of Jeju Air flight 2216 from Bangkok appeared to be attempting a belly landing after the plane’s landing gear failed to deploy properly, Yonhap is reporting.
During the emergency landing attempt, the plane was unable to reduce its speed sufficiently as it approached the end of the runway, according to officials at the scene. The aircraft then struck airport structures at the runway’s end, resulting in severe damage to the fuselage and triggering a fire.
The Jeju Air flight had reportedly attempted one landing before being forced to “go-around” when the landing gear failed to lower normally. A go-around is a standard aviation manoeuvre where pilots abort a landing attempt and circle around for another try. A bird strike is suspected to have caused the landing gear malfunction, though this remains under investigation.
The plane came down at Muan international airport, in south-western South Korea:
Some images are now coming in from the site at Muan international airport, where a Boeing 737 has crashed on landing.
Raphael Rashid
The acting president, Choi Sang-mok, arrived at the Central Disaster Management Headquarters in Seoul at 9.50am and ordered all available equipment and personnel to be mobilised for rescue operations, reports Yonhap. Choi, who is also finance minister and deputy prime minister, emphasised the need to ensure the safety of firefighters during rescue operations.
After issuing the orders, Choi departed for the crash site at the airport in south-west of the country, approximately 300km from the capital, Seoul.
Raphael Rashid
Local fire authorities say they have brought the initial fire under control, and rescue operations are focusing on passengers in the tail section of the aircraft. Emergency services were dispatched to the scene after the Jeju Air flight 2216 from Bangkok crashed at 9.03am.
Fire officials warned that given the severe damage to the aircraft, the number of casualties could rise.
South Korean news agency Yonhap is reporting that a bird strike may have affected the plane’s landing gear.
Footage circulating online appears to show a Jeju Air plane attempting to land without its landing gear down. The footage has not yet been verified.
Rescue authorities are now evacuating passengers from the rear section of the jet, Yonhap said, citing the fire department.
A photo showed the tail section of the jet engulfed in flames on what appeared to be the side of the runway, with firefighters and emergency vehicles nearby.
The acting president, Choi Sang-mok, has ordered “all available equipment and personnel to be mobilised” for rescue operations at Muan international airport.
28 feared dead, fire authorities reported as saying
Raphael Rashid
South Korean news agency News1 reports that approximately 28 people are feared dead in the crash, according to fire authorities. Two people have been rescued, with emergency services continuing their search operations.
The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members when it struck a perimeter wall during landing, breaking apart and catching fire. Fire services have issued their highest level-3 emergency response.
Opening summary
Casualties are being reported after an aircraft carrying 175 passengers and six flight attendants veered off the runway and crashed into a fence in South Korea, the Yonhap news agency reported on Sunday.
The agency said 23 casualties had been reported so far and that rescues were under way from Jeju Air flight 2216 from Bangkok.
Large plumes of smoke could be seen rising into the sky in early unverified images emerging on social media.
Emergency services received the call at Muan international airport in South Jeolla province at around 9am.
We will bring you more news as it emerges.
