Fatalities from the Thailand-bound plane crash in South Korea rise to 62
A passenger plane burst into flames Sunday after it skid off a runway at a South Korean airport and slammed into a concrete fence when its front landing gear apparently failed to deploy, killing at least 62 people, officials said.
The National Fire Agency said the fire was almost put out but officials were still trying to pull people from the Jeju Air passenger plane carrying 181 people at the airport in the town of Muan, about 290 kilometers south of Seoul.
At least 62 people had died in the fire, the agency said. Emergency workers pulled out three people — one passenger and two crew member. It said it deployed 32 fire trucks and several helicopters to contain the fire.
Footage of the crash aired by YTN television showed the Jeju Air plane skidding across the airstrip, apparently with its landing gear still closed, and colliding head-on with a concrete wall on the outskirts of the facility. The transport ministry said the incident happened at 9.03am local time.
Emergency officials in Muan said they were examining the cause of the fire. They said the plane’s landing gear appeared to have malfunctioned. The transport ministry said the plane was returning from Bangkok and its passengers include two Thai nationals.
Local TV stations aired footage showing thick pillows of black smoke billowing from the plane engulfed with flame.
The incident came as South Korea is embroiled into a huge political crisis triggered by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s stunning imposition of martial law and ensuing impeachment. Last Friday, South Korean lawmakers impeached acting President Han Duck-soo and suspended his duties, making Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok to take over.
Choi ordered officials to employ all available resources to rescue the passengers and crew, according to Yonhap news agency. Yoon’s office said his chief secretary, Chung Jin-suk, will preside over an emergency meeting between senior presidential staff later on Sunday to discuss the crash.
Two Thai nationals were on the flight, and their fate is still unknown
Sirirat Srichart, Labour Attaché at the Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, urgently informed the Ministry of Labour on December 29, 2024, about a tragic incident.
" At approximately 9.07am local time, Jeju Air flight 7C 2216, departing from Bangkok to Muan Airport, Jeollanam-do, South Korea, encountered an accident during landing when the plane's wheels failed to deploy. The aircraft skidded along the runway and caught fire, resulting in 23 fatalities out of 175 passengers.
Preliminary checks confirm that two Thai nationals were aboard the flight. The identities of the deceased are currently being verified. The Labour Office at the Thai Embassy in Seoul will closely monitor the situation and provide updates as needed.
