South Korea Plane Crash Live: Death Toll at 85, Bird Strike Suspected in Landing Gear Failure

South Korea Plane Crash: On Sunday, a Jeju Air aircraft went off the runway and into a fence near South korea Muan, Out of the 181 passengers, 179 are feared killed. The authorities have so far confirmed 85 deaths from the accident.

“The front landing gear did not appear to deploy, forcing the aircraft into a crash landing,” a fire department official explained. Footage from local TV showed the plane skidding uncontrollably across the runway before slamming into a fence. Witnesses described thick black smoke billowing from the wreckage as flames consumed the aircraft.

According to news agency Yonhap, the Boeing 737-800 may have suffered a bird strike that caused the landing gear to fail. The flight had reportedly attempted one landing before being forced to “go-around” when the landing gear failed to lower normally.

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The accident occurred at 9:07 a.m. local time during the plane’s second attempt to land after a failed initial approach. Officials said a malfunction in the landing gear likely prevented a safe landing.

Rescue efforts are underway

At least 85 people have been confirmed dead in the crash, according to South Korea’s National Fire Agency. The victims include 37 women and 25 men. The aircraft was carrying 181 people, including six crew members. Among the passengers, there were two Thai nationals. Emergency responders, including 32 fire trucks and several helicopters, were dispatched to the scene immediately after the crash occurred at approximately 9:03 a.m. local time.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok directed officials to prioritise rescue efforts and travelled to the site of the accident, according to his office.

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The presidential office announced an emergency meeting of senior officials, led by Presidential Chief of Staff Chung Jin-suk, at 11:30 am (local time) to discuss the government’s response.

Jeju Air Apologises for Deadly Plane Crash at South Korea's Muan Airport

Jeju Air on Sunday issued an apology following a tragic airplane crash at South Korea’s Muan International Airport, which claimed the lives of 62 passengers, news agency AP reported.

In a statement posted on its website, the airline said, “We lower our heads in apology to everyone who suffered in the accident.” The statement further assured, “We will do everything we can to deal with this accident.”

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