The Yonhap news agency quoted airport authorities as saying that the landing gear malfunctioned during landing, causing the aircraft to veer off the runway, hit a perimeter wall, and burst into flames.
There were 175 passengers and six crew members on board the plane, which was returning from Thailand. Two crew members who were in the tail of the plane were rescued. Firefighters suspect that there may be more survivors.
A bird strike is among several theories about the possible cause of the accident, said an official from the Ministry of Transportation’s aviation department, adding that an investigation is underway.
SAZNAJTE VIŠE:
Among the passengers were two Thai citizens, and the rest are believed to be South Koreans, the Ministry of Transportation said.
The accident occurred at Muan International Airport in southern South Korea, which opened in 2007 and has routes to several countries in Asia.
Jeju Air flight 7C2216 from the Thai capital Bangkok carried 175 passengers and six crew members. It landed just after 9 a.m. local time, the South Korean Ministry of Transportation said.
READ MORE:
Source: B92, Photo: Ahn Young-joon/AP