At least 127 people have been killed when a passenger plane caught fire after crashing at an airport in South Korea.
Jeju Air flight 7C2216, arriving from Bangkok, Thailand, erupted into a fireball after it tried to land without wheels and veered off the runway.
The plane, which had 181 people on board, was attempting to land shortly after 9am local time at Muan International Airport.
All except two are presumed dead. One passenger and one crew member were pulled from the tail section and are receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.
The plane, which had 181 people on board, was attempting to land shortly after 9am local time at Muan International Airport
Reuters
It is the deadliest air accident involving a South Korean airline in nearly three decades, according to ministry data.
The Boeing 737-800 attempted a belly landing at around 9.03am local time after its landing gear reportedly failed to deploy.
No cause has been determined, however, the fire department say they believe a bird strike and bad weather is likely to have been the main factors.
The tail section of the plane is still intact though the rest of the aircraft is “unrecognisable”, Lee Jeong-hyun, the chief of Muan fire department said.
The Boeing 737-800 attempted a belly landing at around 9:03am local time
Reuters
The passengers included two Thai nationals and the rest are believed to be South Koreans, according to the transportation ministry.
A bird strike warning was issued by the control tower and soon after, the pilots declared mayday.
About one minute after the mayday call, the aircraft made its ill-fated attempt to land.
A passenger texted a relative to say a bird was stuck in the wing, the News1 agency reported. The person's final message was: "Should I say my last words?"