At least 85 people have died in a tragic plane crash at Muan International Airport, South Korea, on Sunday morning, officials said.
The crash occurred after the aircraft which was carrying 181 people, veered off the runway during landing and collided with a concrete fence, bursting into flames as a result, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The Jeju Air flight, Boeing 737-800, was returning from Bangkok, Thailand, with 175 passengers and six crew members when its front landing gear apparently failed to deploy during landing.
The incident occurred at 9:03 AM local time (00:00 GMT), a town approximately 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul, according to the National Fire Agency.
Emergency responders immediately deployed 32 fire trucks and helicopters which led to the rescue of two survivors, a flight attendant and a passenger.
Rescuers are focusing efforts on the aircraft’s tail section, where additional survivors may be trapped, a fire official told Reuters.
According to the National Fire Agency, the fatalities include 46 women and 39 men.
The passengers were mostly South Korean nationals, along with two Thai citizens.
Footage aired by local media showed the plane skidding across the runway with its landing gear retracted before colliding head-on with a concrete wall.
The impact triggered a massive fire, with thick black smoke seen rising from the wreckage while the tail section of the aircraft remained the only recognizable area after the crash.
Officials are investigating the cause of the crash, with some reports suggesting bird strikes may have affected the aircraft’s systems.
This is the first fatal accident in the history of Jeju Air, a major South Korean low-cost airline established in 2005.
The aviation industry in South Korea generally has a strong safety record, making this crash an exceptional tragedy.
