Witnesses of a fatal plane crash South Korea on Sunday said they saw flames from the plane's engine and heard an explosion, according to the report.
A Jeju Air skidded off the runway at Muan International Airport in the city of Muan, about 190 kilometers south of Seoul, and crashed into a concrete fence, killing at least 176 people, the Associated Press reported. cites the country's National Fire Agency (NFA).
Officials are investigating a possible problem with the landing gear due to a bird strike that may have caused the accident, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The videos show the plane attempting to land without its landing gear.
PLANE VEERS OFF RUNWAY GOING DOWN OVER SOUTH KOREA AND AGAIN, BREAKING 176: REPORTS
Firefighters work to put out a plane that took off from Muan Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on December 29, 2024. (Yonhap via REUTERS)
The plane was carrying 181 people when the collision happened at around 9:03 am local time. Emergency crews pulled two workers to safety who health officials say are conscious and not in life-threatening conditions, while three others remain unaccounted for.
South Korea's Department of Transportation said the plane was a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 that was returning from Bangkok, Thailand.
“We are contacting Jeju Air regarding flight 2216 and are ready to support them,” Boeing said in a statement. “We extend our deepest condolences to the families who have lost loved ones, and our thoughts are with the passengers and crew.”
Another witness, Yoo Jae-yong, 41, who lived in a rented house near the airport, said he saw a spark on the right side of the plane before the incident, according to Yonhap News Agency.
“I was telling my family that there was a problem with the plane when I heard a loud explosion,” said Yoo.
Firefighters work to put out a plane that took off from Muan Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on December 29, 2024. (Yonhap via REUTERS)
Another witness, known only by his last name, Cho, told the outlet that he walked 4.5 kilometers, or about 2.8 kilometers, from the station. -plane when the plane hits a concrete wall at the end of the runway.
“I saw the plane coming down and thought it was about to land when I saw a flash of light,” Cho said. “Then there was a loud bang followed by smoke in the air, and I heard a series of explosions.”
Kim Yong-cheol, 70, said the plane failed to land on the first attempt and had to circle back to try again before the crash.
Kim said he heard the sound of “metallic scraping” twice five minutes before the accident. He also said he looked up at the sky and saw the plane take off after it failed to land before hearing a “huge explosion” and noticing “black smoke pouring into the sky.”
KAZAKHSTAN plane survivors say they heard bangs before the plane took off; PUTIN IMAGES
This screenshot captured near Muan International Airport shows black smoke billowing into the air from Muan Airport in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on December 29, 2024. (Yonhap via REUTERS)
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A 50-year-old witness, known only by his surname Jung, was fishing nearby when he said he saw a flock of birds crash into the plane, which caused a fire in the right engine.
He said: “While the plane was landing on the runway, it hit many birds that were approaching from the other direction. “I heard two or three bangs like birds being sucked into the engine before I saw flames coming from the right engine.”
Kerati Kijmanawat, director of Airports of Thailand, said in a statement that the plane had taken off. Suvarnabhumi Airport except for reports of unusual conditions on the aircraft or on the runway.
Jeju Air said in a statement that it is “deeply sorry” for the accident and that it will make “great efforts to manage the consequences of the accident.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.