South Korea plane with 181 onboard veers off runway and hits fence, local media report
SUMMARY
Dozens are feared dead after a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800, Flight 2216, skidded off the runway while attempting to land without landing gear at Muan International Airport in South Korea on Sunday morning. The plane, en route from Bangkok, was carrying 181 people, including 175 passengers and six crew members. Initial reports suggest that at least 28 people have died, though the casualty count may rise as emergency crews continue to search the wreckage. The aircraft skidded along the runway, crashing into fencing and a wall before catching fire. Two people have been rescued so far. Emergency services, who received the first call at 9:03 a.m., worked to bring the fire under control by 9:46 a.m. The plane may have suffered a bird strike, which caused its landing gear to fail. After an initial attempt to land, the flight was forced to go around when the landing gear failed to deploy correctly. South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, has mobilized all available personnel for the rescue.
