29-12-2024 (SEOUL) Around 9.07am at Muan International Airport, a Jeju Air passenger aircraft met with disaster during its landing attempt, resulting in multiple casualties and prompting a major emergency response.
The Boeing 737-800, operating as Flight 7C 2216 from Bangkok, veered dramatically off the runway at approximately 9:07 AM local time after suffering what preliminary reports suggest was a catastrophic landing gear failure triggered by a bird strike. The aircraft was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members when the incident occurred.
Emergency services rushed to the scene as the situation rapidly deteriorated. Firefighters concentrated their initial efforts on dousing flames that had erupted from the stricken aircraft, whilst simultaneously coordinating with rescue teams to evacuate passengers from the rear section of the plane.
According to local news agency Yonhap, 23 people have been confirmed as casualties in the incident, though the full extent of injuries remains unclear at this stage.
