South Korea: Jeju Air flight turns into a fireball, 179 killed in accident
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Salma Hossein
- . December 29, 2024
- . Update: December 29, 2024 11:36 pm
On Sunday at 9:30 am local time, a Boeing 737-800 jet caught fire after skidding off the airstrip at a South Korean airport and slamming into a concrete fence. The flight had been returning from Bangkok and its passengers included a couple of Thai nationals.
It is the first fatal accident in the history of Jeju Air – a prominent carrier in South Korea. The National Fire Agency said rescuers rushed to pull out people out of the plane carrying 181 passengers at the airport in Muan, about 290 km from Seoul.
The fire agency said it deployed dozens of fire trucks and many helicopters to contain the flames. Sunday’s incident is one of the most serious airline disasters in the history of the country. The death toll is expected to rise further.
The plane has been significantly destroyed. Experts are looking into different possibilities about the reason behind the crash, including if bird(s) stuck the aircraft and triggered mechanical problems in the system. Keep an eye out for more information.
