An aircraft carrying 175 passengers and six crew has veered off the runway and crashed into a wall in South Korea
A plane with malfunctioning landing gear veered off the runway, hit a fence and caught fire Sunday at an airport in southern South Korea, according to the emergency office and local media.
175 passengers and six crew were aboard the plane and Yonhap news agency are reporting that 28 people have so far been confirmed dead.
Local TV stations aired footage of the the plane, with retracted landing gear, attempting to make a belly landing before skidding off the runway, hitting a wall and exploding.
They have also aired footage showing thick pillows of black smoke billowing from the plane engulfed with flame.
The emergency office said the fire was put out and rescue officials were trying to remove the remaining passengers from the plane at the airport in the South Korean city of Muan.
Two people were found alive as the rescue mission was continuing, according to Yonhap.
Yonhap news agency reported the Jeju Air flight plane veered off the runway and collided with a fence.
It has been reported that the plane was returning from Bangkok to Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, about 288 kilometers away from Seoul.
Acting President Choi Sung-mok, who was named interim leader of the country on Friday after the previous acting president was impeached amid an ongoing political crisis, ordered all-out rescue efforts, his office said.
It’s believed the plane involved is a Boeing 737-8AS.
This is a developing story. More to come.