On Sunday (December 29), around 9:07 a.m. local time, a South Korean passenger plane veered off the runway while landing at Wuan International Airport in Jeollanam-do, and collided with the perimeter wall, causing the plane to catch fire.
According to reports from the South Korean news agency, the accident has resulted in 28 confirmed deaths. The preliminary assessment of the cause of the accident suggests that during the landing process, the plane collided with a bird, which led to the landing gear not being deployed properly.
The plane involved in the accident was Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 from Bangkok, Thailand to Wuan. There were a total of 175 passengers and 6 crew members, amounting to 181 people on board.
According to the latest updates from the South Korean news agency on the 29th, Deputy Prime Minister for Economy and Minister of Planning and Finance, Choi Sang-mok, who is currently acting as the President of South Korea, has ordered a full-scale rescue operation.
The South Korean Fire Department has reported that the initial fire on the accident aircraft has been extinguished, and they are currently working intensively to rescue passengers at the tail section of the plane.
This report was based on information from the South Korean news agency and Reuters.