South Korea: Dozens dead in Muan airport plane crash
· DWA Jeju Air flight with 181 people skidded off the runway and slammed into a wall before catching fire.
A plane carrying 181 people crashed at Muan International Airport in South Korea, killing at least 85 people, emergency officials said.
"So far, two rescued and 85 dead," the National Fire Agency said in a statement, with the rescue operation ongoing.
The Jeju Air flight was returning from Bangkok, Thailand when an incident occurred during landing.
Emergency services and local news initially reported that the plane had a problem with its landing gear.
Later, the fire agency said the weather conditions were presumed to have caused the crash, alongside a bird strike.
"The cause of the accident is presumed to be a bird strike combined with adverse weather conditions. However, the exact cause will be announced following a joint investigation," Lee Jeong-hyun, chief of Muan fire station, said during a briefing.
Video footage showed an aircraft skidding down the runway without any visible landing gear before crashing into a wall in an explosion of flames.
What do we know about the crash?
The plane was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members. The passengers included two Thai nationals, the Transport Ministry said.
The fire agency said it had mobilised 32 fire engines and scores of fire fighters to the scene.
This is the first fatal accident in the history of Jeju Air, South Korea's low-cost carrier founded in 2005. The airline apologized on Sunday.
"We at Jeju Air will do everything in our power in response to this accident. We sincerely apologize for causing concern," Jeju Air said in a statement posted on its social media channels.
Aviation tracking site FlightRadar24 said the aircraft appeared to be a Boeing 737-800. Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
South Korea's acting President, Choi Sung-mok, ordered all-out rescue efforts. Choi was only appointed on Friday, following the impeachment of the previous acting president amid the country's ongoing political crisis.
His chief of staff convened an emergency meeting.
rmt/lo (AFP, AP, Reuters)