A plane went off the runway and crashed at Muan International Airport, South Korea, killing at least 29 people on Sunday, December 29, according to the Yonhap news agency.
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The accident occurred during the landing of a Jeju Air plane from Bangkok, Thailand, carrying 175 passengers and six crew members. Muan Airport is located in the south of the South Korea.
Rescue operations are underway, an airport official told Reuters. Two survivors have already been found, according to Yonhap. “ We have so far confirmed the deaths of 29 people “, Lee Hyeon-ji, head of the South Jeolla Fire Department’s response team, told AFP. “ But the toll could rise due to the number of serious injuries “, she added.
Images broadcast by South Korean television channels on Sunday morning showed numerous emergency service vehicles and dozens of firefighters working around the completely charred wreckage of the plane.
Acting South Korean President Choi Sung-mok has ordered major relief operations to be implemented, his office announced.
According to the specialist site Flightradar, the aircraft is a Boeing 737-8AS from the South Korean low-cost airline Jeju Air, which entered service in August 2009.