Plane crashes at South Korean airport, dozens dead, officials say

Plane crashes at South Korean airport, dozens dead, officials say

  • A plane with 181 people on board crashed at an airport in South Korea on Sunday.
  • Photos and videos show the plane overrunning a runway before bursting into flames.
  • Officials said the death toll was at least 85 people, according to the AP.

A plane crash at a South Korean airport on Sunday killed at least 85 people, The Associated Press reported.

The plane, operated by Korean budget airline Jeju Air, was carrying 181 people when it veered off the runway and struck a barrier while landing at Muan International Airport, the New York Times reported.

Flight 7C2216 came from Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, the Times reported.

The National Fire Agency put the death toll at at least 85 people, AP News reported. Two of the plane’s six crew members survived.

Spokespeople for Jeju Air and the National Fire Agency could not immediately be reached for comment.

In a statement posted online, Jeju Air said it “inclined” to apologize and would look into the crash.

A video broadcast by MBC News, a South Korean news channel, showed a plane speeding down a runway with smoke pouring from its belly before appearing to crash into a barrier and burst into flames.

Planespotters.net, a flight tracking website, reported that the plane was a Boeing 737-800. According to the tracker, Ryanair, an Irish low-cost airline, operated the aircraft before it was delivered to Jeju Air in 2017.

The flight tracker said the plane landed “without the landing gear extended.”

A Boeing spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.