A plane caught fire after skidding off the runway at a South Korean airport, killing at least 28 people on board, emergency officials said.
The plane, which was carrying 181 people, was engulfed in flames when it skidded off the runway shortly after landing and crashed into a fence. Emergency services said its landing gear appeared to have failed.
The National Fire Agency said the fire was almost out, but officials were still trying to extricate people from the Jeju Air passenger plane at the airport in the southern city of Mueang.
The agency reported that at least 28 people died in the fire. Employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations pulled out two people – one passenger and one crew member. 32 fire trucks and several helicopters were used to extinguish the fire.
Lee Heon-ji, a spokesman for the local fire department, told AFP that the death toll had risen to 29 and indicated that it could continue to rise.
“So far we have confirmed 29 deaths from the accident…but the number may rise due to the serious injuries,” Lee told AFP.
Yonhap via REUTERS
The Yonhap News Agency reported that the plane collided with a fence after leaving the runway. Employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations said that they are investigating the cause of the fire. Local TV channels showed footage showing plumes of black smoke billowing from the plane engulfed in flames.
According to Reuters, South Korea's acting president Choi Sang-mok ordered an all-out rescue service. Choi became acting president only on Fridayreplacing the previous Acting President Han Dak-soo after Han's impeachment. All this happened after the government crisis caused December 3 declaration of martial law from former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was also later impeached.