Witnesses at the scene of a plane crash in South Korea reported seeing flames in the engine of the aircraft and hearing explosions, according to a report.
A Jeju Air flight overshot a runway at Muan International Airport in the town of Muan, about 190 miles south of Seoul, and hit a concrete fence, resulting in the death of at least 176 people, as reported by the Associated Press, citing the country’s National Fire Agency (NFA).
Authorities are looking into the possibility of a landing gear malfunction caused by a bird strike that could have led to the crash, according to the Yonhap News Agency.
Videos show the plane attempting to land without its landing gear deployed.
This screen grab from video footage captured near Muan International Airport shows black smoke billowing into the air from the airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, South Korea, December 29, 2024. (Yonhap via REUTERS )
A 50-year-old witness, identified by his last name, Jung, was fishing nearby when he says he observed a flock of birds colliding with the plane, which resulted in a fire in the right engine.
“As the plane was landing on the runway, it hit a flock of birds approaching from the opposite direction,” he said. “I heard two or three bangs as if the birds had been sucked into the engine before I saw flames coming from the right engine.”
Kerati Kijmanawat, the director of Airports of Thailand, said in a statement that the plane departed from Suvarnabhumi Airport with no reports of abnormal conditions with the aircraft or on the runway.
Jeju Air said in a statement it expresses its “deep apology” over the crash and that it will do its “utmost to manage the aftermath of the accident.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
