Plane crash, death toll to rise sharply, preliminary cause determined

According to the latest information provided by South Korean authorities, at least 29 people were killed in a plane crash at Muan airport in the southwest of the country on the morning of December 29 and the death toll is expected to rise sharply.

The death toll in the plane crash in South Korea is expected to rise sharply. (Source: Yonhap/Reuters)

"We have confirmed 29 people died in the accident... but the number could rise sharply as there are still people with serious injuries," said Lee Hyeon-ji, an official at the local Fire Department.

Currently, authorities have only confirmed that 2 people were rescued out of 181 people on board the plane.

Earlier information said that on the morning of December 29, a Jeju Air passenger plane crashed while landing at Muan International Airport, South Jeolla Province.

According to the fire department, flight 7C2216 departing from Bangkok (Thailand) had 181 people on board, including 173 Korean passengers, 2 Thai passengers and 6 crew members.

Airport officials said the plane had to circle back for a second attempt at landing due to a problem with its landing gear. During the second approach, the pilot was forced to land the plane on its side. However, the plane was unable to slow down in time, crashed into a structure at the end of the runway and burst into flames.

The preliminary cause is believed to be a malfunctioning landing gear after a collision with a bird. Police and firefighters are continuing to investigate the exact cause of the accident.

The presidential office convened an emergency meeting chaired by Chief of Staff Jin-seok. The opposition Democratic Party called on the government to "concentrate all resources on rescue" and stressed that "protecting the lives and safety of the people is the government's top priority."

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/han-quoc-tai-nan-may-bay-so-nguoi-thiet-mang-se-tang-manh-xac-dinh-nguyen-nhan-so-bo-299022.html