At least 47 people were killed after a plane skidded off the runway while landing at a South Korean airport on Sunday morning, according to local media.
Jeju Air flight 7C2216 was landing at Muan International Airport at around 9am when the plane ran off the runway and crashed into a wall.
At least 47 people have died in the accident, the National Fire Agency has announced. There were 175 passengers and six crew on board the Boeing 737 plane that took off from Bangkok, according to Korea’s Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport.
Firefighters and rescue team members work at Muan International Airport, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (Maeng Dae-hwan/Newsis via AP)
Maeng Dae-hwan/AP
The transport was on the scene investigating the cause of the accident.
It is not clear how many people are missing.
There are also conflicting reports on the number of people rescued. In a statement, the Ministry of Transport said that one person, a crew member, had been rescued from the wreckage of the plane.
People watch news about the plane crash at Seoul Station on December 29, 2024 in Seoul, South Korea. A plane carrying 181 people, Jeju Air flight 7C2216, crashed at South Korea’s Muan International Airport after skidding off the runway and crashing into a wall, causing an explosion. Initial reports said at least 23 people were killed. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
Chung Sung-jun/Getty Images
According to the fire agency and the local fire department, two people have been rescued without reporting their condition.
Jeju Air is a South Korean low-cost carrier that operates a full Boeing fleet with 42 aircraft and nearly 3,000 employees.
Muan, a city of about 90,000 inhabitants, is located in the southwest of South Korea.
