A Jeju Airlines flight The plane skidded off a runway in South Korea and crashed into a concrete fence, killing at least 176 people, the Associated Press reported, citing the country's National Fire Agency (NFA).
Yonhap News Agency attributed the devastating accident, one of the worst in the country's history, to a defect in the landing gear.
Jeju Air, a low-cost airline in South Korea, was carrying 175 passengers and six passengers Crew members On a Boeing 737-800 when the accident occurred Sunday morning local time at Muan International Airport In Muan County, South Jeolla Province, about 180 miles south of Seoul.
The fire agency said at least 176 people — 83 women, 82 men and 11 others whose gender was not immediately identified — died in the fire.
Firefighters carry out extinguishing operations on a runaway plane at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on December 29. (Yonhap via Reuters)
Firefighters carry out extinguishing operations on a runaway plane at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on December 29. (Yonhap via Reuters)
According to the NFA, emergency workers rescued two people, both crew members who were conscious. Three people remained missing about nine hours after the accident.
The plane landed at 9:07 am local time at the airport when the accident occurred.
According to the Associated Press, the passenger plane crashed into a concrete fence on the runway after its front landing gear failed.
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Yonhap News Agency reported that the plane was on its way back to South Korea from Thailand.
Pictures published by local media showed smoke rising from the plane.
A senior Ministry of Transport official said that the flight data recorder had been recovered from the plane's black box, and that the crew was still searching for the cockpit voice recorder, according to the Associated Press.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
