Plane burst into flames after skidding off runway at airport in South Korea, killing at least 85

SEOUL, South Korea -- A rider level burst into flames Sunday aft it skid disconnected a runway astatine a South Korean airdrome and slammed into a factual obstruction erstwhile its beforehand landing cogwheel seemingly failed to deploy, sidesplitting astatine slightest 85 people, officials said, successful 1 of the country's worst aviation disasters.

The National Fire Agency said rescuers raced to propulsion radical from the Jeju Air rider level carrying 181 radical astatine the airdrome successful the municipality of Muan, astir 290 kilometers (180 miles) southbound of Seoul. The Transport Ministry identified the level arsenic a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 pitchy and said the clang happened astatine 9:03 a.m. section time.

At slightest 85 radical - 46 women and 39 men - died successful the fire, the bureau said. Emergency workers pulled retired 2 people, some unit members, and section wellness officials said they stay conscious. It said it deployed 32 occurrence trucks and respective helicopters to incorporate the fire.

Footage of the clang aired by YTN tv showed the Jeju Air level skidding crossed the airstrip, seemingly with its landing cogwheel inactive closed, and colliding head-on with a factual partition connected the outskirts of the facility. Other section TV stations aired footage showing heavy pillows of achromatic fume billowing from the level engulfed with flames.

Lee Jeong-hyeon, main of the Muan occurrence station, told a televised briefing that rescue workers are continuing to hunt for bodies scattered by the clang impact. The level was wholly destroyed, with lone the process assembly remaining recognizable among the wreckage, helium said.

Workers were looking into assorted possibilities astir what caused the crash, including whether the craft was struck by birds that caused mechanical problems, Lee said. Senior Transport Ministry authoritative Joo Jong-wan separately told reporters that authorities investigators arrived astatine the tract to analyse the origin of the clang and fire.

Emergency officials successful Muan said the plane's landing cogwheel appeared to person malfunctioned. The Transport Ministry said the level was returning from Bangkok and its passengers see 2 Thai nationals.

Thailand's premier minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, expressed heavy condolences to the families of those affected by the mishap done a station connected societal level X. Paetongtarn said she had ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to supply assistance immediately.

Jeju Air successful a connection expressed its "deep apology" implicit the clang and said it volition bash its "utmost to negociate the aftermath of the accident."

It's 1 of the deadliest disasters successful South Korea's aviation history. The past clip South Korea suffered a large-scale aerial catastrophe was successful 1997, erstwhile a Korean Airline level crashed successful Guam, sidesplitting 228 radical connected board. In 2013, an Asiana Airlines level crash-landed successful San Francisco, sidesplitting 3 and injuring astir 200.

Sunday's mishap was besides 1 of the worst landing mishaps since a July 2007 clang that killed each 187 radical connected committee and 12 others connected the crushed erstwhile an Airbus A320 slid disconnected a slick airstrip successful Sao Paulo and collided with a adjacent building, according to information compiled by the Flight Safety Foundation, a nonprofit radical aimed astatine improving aerial safety.

The incidental came arsenic South Korea is embroiled into a immense governmental situation triggered by President Yoon Suk Yeol's stunning imposition of martial instrumentality and ensuing impeachment. Last Friday, South Korean lawmakers impeached acting President Han Duck-soo and suspended his duties, starring Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok to instrumentality over.

Choi ordered officials to employment each disposable resources to rescue the passengers and unit earlier helium headed to Muan. Yoon's bureau said his main secretary, Chung Jin-suk, volition preside implicit an exigency gathering betwixt elder statesmanlike unit aboriginal connected Sunday to sermon the crash.