A Jeju Air passenger plane with 181 passengers aboard burst into flames on the ground early Sunday morning in South Korea.
The incident occurred in Muan, about 290 kilometres from Seoul, the country’s capital city.
According to BBC, the Transport Ministry has identified the plane as a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet returning from Bangkok, Thailand, with two Thai nationals on board.
About 167 persons have so far been confirmed dead, with the death toll expected to rise, officials said.
When its front landing gear failed to deploy, the plane skidded off the runway and rammed into a concrete fence.
Rescue workers are still searching for bodies strewn across the airport as thick, black smoke billows from the wreckage.
Chief of Muan Fire Station, Lee Jeong-hyeon, said the plane was destroyed, with only the tail assembly remaining recognisable among the wreckage.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency quoted witnesses saying they saw sparks and explosions before the crash.
Yoo Jae-yong, 41, staying near the airport, tells Yonhap he saw a spark on the right wing shortly before the crash.
Kim Yong-cheok, 70, said the plane failed to land initially and circled back to try again.
Yong-cheol said he saw “black smoke billowing into the sky” after hearing a “loud explosion.”.
“I saw the plane descending and thought it was about to land when I noticed a flash of light,” another witness named Cho added.
“Then there was a loud bang followed by smoke in the air, and I heard a series of explosions.”
