At least 120 individuals lost their lives when an airliner landed without its landing gear, veering off the runway and erupting into flames upon colliding with a wall at Muan International Airport in South Korea on Sunday, as reported by the national fire agency.
The Jeju Air flight 7C2216, which was arriving from Bangkok, Thailand, with 181 passengers on board, attempted to land shortly after 9 a.m. (0000 GMT) at the airport located in the southern region of the country, according to the South Korean transport ministry.
This incident marks the most catastrophic aviation disaster involving a South Korean airline in nearly thirty years, based on data from the ministry.
Footage from local media depicted the twin-engine Boeing 737-800 skidding down the runway without visible landing gear before crashing into a wall, resulting in an explosion of flames and debris. Additional images captured smoke and fire consuming various sections of the aircraft.
Two crew members, one male and one female, were rescued from the tail section of the burning aircraft, as stated by Muan fire chief Lee Jung-hyun during a briefing. The fire was reported to be extinguished by 1 p.m., according to Lee.
“Only the tail section retains some semblance of shape, while the remainder of the aircraft is nearly unrecognizable,” he remarked.
Authorities have transitioned from rescue efforts to recovery operations and, due to the severity of the impact, are conducting searches in surrounding areas for any bodies that may have been ejected from the aircraft, Lee added.
The two crew members are currently receiving treatment at local hospitals for injuries ranging from moderate to severe, as reported by the head of the local public health center.
