South Korean Plane Crashes While Landing At Airport, Atleast 85 Dead

SEOUL: In a tragic turn of event, at least 85 people were killed when a passenger jet crashed upon landing at an airport in South Korea on Sunday morning, authorities said.

The fatal incident unfolded when Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 was landing at Muan International Airport at around 9 a.m. local time with the aircraft careening down the runway on its belly before bursting into flames.

According to the Korean Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport, a total of 175 passengers and six crew members were aboard the Boeing 737 aircraft which had taken off from Bangkok.

As per officials, the horrific accident was caused by a landing gear malfunction reportedly triggered by bird contact at the airport in Muan county in South Korea's southwestern region.

Two crew members were pulled alive from the crash site but rescuers have warned there is little hope of finding further survivors.

Footage of Sunday’s crash broadcasted by multiple South Korean news outlets showed the plane sliding on its belly at high speed, hitting an earthen embankment and erupting in a fireball.

Videos taken at the scene showed flames and a thick column of dark smoke at the crash site. Firefighters were later seen using water cannons to extinguish the blazing wreckage of the aircraft, which was listed as a Boeing 737-800 on flight-tracking site FlightAware.

All domestic and international flights in South Korea have been suspended following the disastrous incident.

South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, instructed emergency responders to mobilize “all available” equipment and personnel to respond to the crash, according to a press release by the interior and safety ministry.

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