Witnesses to a deadly plane crash in South Korea on Sunday said they saw flames coming from the plane's engine and heard an explosion, according to reports.
a Jeju Air flights The Associated Press reported, citing the country's National Fire and Disaster Management Agency (NFA), that at least 100 people died after sliding off the runway at Muan International Airport in the city of Muan, about 300 kilometers south of Seoul, and colliding with a concrete fence. 176 people died.
According to Yonhap News Agency, authorities are investigating the possibility of a landing gear failure caused by a bird strike that may have caused the crash.
The video shows the plane attempting to land without deploying its landing gear.
At least 176 people killed as plane veers off airport runway in South Korea: Report
Firefighters work to extinguish a runaway aircraft at Muan International Airport in Muan, Jeollanam Province, South Korea, on December 29, 2024. (Yonhap News, Reuters)
There were 181 people on board the flight when the collision occurred at around 9:03 a.m. local time. Emergency crews pulled two crew members to safety, but health officials said they were conscious and with non-life-threatening injuries, but three people remain missing.
South Korea's Ministry of Transport said the plane was a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 that had returned from Bangkok, Thailand.
“We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding Flight 2216 and stand 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.”
According to Yonhap News, one of the witnesses, Yoo Jae-young, 41, who was staying in a rented house near the airport, said he saw sparks on the right wing of the plane before the incident.
“I was telling my family there was a problem with the plane when I heard a loud explosion,” Yu said.
Firefighters work to extinguish a runaway aircraft at Muan International Airport in Muan, Jeollanam Province, South Korea, on December 29, 2024. (Yonhap News, Reuters)
Another witness, Cho, identified only by his last name, said he was taking a walk 4.5 kilometers (about 2.8 miles) from the airport when the plane hit a concrete wall at the end of the runway. spoke.
“I saw the plane descending and thought it was about to land, when I noticed a flash,” Cho said. “Then we heard a loud explosion followed by smoke in the air and then a series of explosions.”
Kim Yong-cheol, 70, said the plane failed to land on the first attempt and had to turn around and try to land again before the crash occurred.
Kim said he heard two “metal scraping” sounds about five minutes before the crash. He also said he looked up at the sky and watched the failed plane ascend, then heard a “loud explosion” and noticed “black smoke billowing into the sky.”
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This screenshot from video footage taken near Muan International Airport on December 29, 2024, shows black smoke billowing from the airport in Muan, Jeollanam Province, South Korea. (Yonhap News, Reuters)
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A 50-year-old witness, identified by his surname John, said he was fishing nearby when he saw a flock of birds collide with the plane, resulting in the right engine catching fire.
“As the plane was landing on the runway, it collided with a flock of birds approaching from the opposite direction,” he said. “I heard a couple of bangs, like a bird being sucked into the engine, and then I saw flames coming from the right engine.”
Kerati Kijimanawat, director of Thailand's Airports Department, said in a statement that the plane departed from Suvarnabhumi Airport with no abnormal conditions reported on the aircraft or the runway.
In a statement, Jeju Air expressed its “deepest apologies” for the accident and said it would “do our utmost to address the impact of the accident.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
