47 killed in South Korean plane crash (VIDEO) [EDIT: Death count upped to almost all 181 people aboard]
The Jeju Air flight with 181 people on board veered off a runway and collided with a fence on Sunday morning
A Boeing 737-800 carrying 181 people on board veered off the runway and crashed into a fence during landing in South Korea. At least 47 people have been killed, officials said.
The disaster occurred shortly after 9 am local time when a Jeju Air Flight 2216 was landing at the Muan International Airport in the southwestern part of the country. The plane was returning to South Korea from Bangkok.
A video posted to social media shows the large plane skidding off a runway and bursting into flames.
According to local media, the authorities believe that the plane was likely hit by a flock of birds, which caused its landing gear to malfunction.
The aircraft has broken into pieces, with thick plumes of smoke rising from the crash site. The firefighters are working to extinguish the flames and looking for survivors from the tail section. One passenger and one crew member have been rescued so far, according to Yonhap.
The plane had 175 passengers and six crew members on board. Of the passengers, 173 are South Korean nationals, and two have Thai passports.
https://www.rt.com/news/610149-south-korea-plane-crash/
