At least 85 people lost their lives when a plane crashed at South Korea’s Muan International Airport on Sunday. The plane, operated by Jeju Air, went off the runway and burst into flames after hitting a wall. According to the national fire agency, two crew members were rescued from the wreckage.
The crash happened as Jeju Air flight 7C2216 was landing. It had 175 passengers and six crew members on board and was coming from Bangkok, Thailand. The accident occurred shortly after 9 a.m. local time. Emergency officials are looking into what caused the fire, and they believe the plane’s landing gear might have failed. It’s thought that birds may have hit the plane, causing the landing gear to malfunction.
This tragic event comes during a political crisis in South Korea. President Yoon Suk Yeol recently declared martial law, leading to his impeachment. Acting President Han Duck-soo was also impeached, so Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok is now in charge.
Choi has ordered all resources to be used in rescuing the passengers and crew. An emergency meeting was held to discuss the crash, and all flights at Muan airport have been canceled.
Jeju Air, the airline involved, apologized for the tragedy and promised to do everything possible to help. They expressed deep sorrow over the incident and said they are committed to responding to the accident.
