(Al Jazeera Media Network) At least 179 people have been killed after a passenger plane skidded and crashed while trying to land at Muan International Airport in South Korea in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters.
The accident occurred on Sunday at 9:03am local time (00:03 GMT) as the Jeju Air flight, carrying 175 passengers and six crew from the Thai capital Bangkok, landed at Muan International Airport about 290km (180 miles) southwest of the capital Seoul.
The National Fire Agency confirmed that 179 people – 85 women, 84 men and 10 others whose genders weren’t immediately identifiable – have been killed, and two people have been rescued – both crew members. The fire that engulfed the plane has been extinguished, the agency said.
The agency reported that the crash is believed to have been caused by “contact with birds, resulting in malfunctioning landing gear” as the plane attempted to land at the airport.
Al Jazeera’s Rob McBride, reporting from Seoul, said the accident has been declared the worst in history on South Korean soil.