Seoul, Dec 29, 2024, IANS

Seoul, Dec 29 (IANS) At least 47 passengers lost their lives when a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 carrying more than 170 people caught fire upon landing at Muan Airport in southern South Korea on Sunday, authorities reported. The aircraft, which had been returning from Bangkok, veered off the runway and collided with a fence, triggering a devastating fire. Local TV footage showed thick black smoke billowing from the burning plane, with flames engulfing much of the aircraft. The emergency office stated that rescue teams were working tirelessly to evacuate passengers from the wreckage. As of now, one survivor has been found, and efforts to locate others are ongoing. The ill-fated flight carried at least 175 passengers and six crew members. The crash is suspected to have been caused by "contact with birds, resulting in malfunctioning landing gear," according to initial reports. Acting President Choi Sang-mok has called for all available resources to be mobilised to save lives. "All related agencies must mobilize all available resources to save the personnel," he said in an official statement. The tragic incident has left the nation in mourning as rescue operations continue amid challenging circumstances. This is the second such incident in a week. Earlier, on Wednesday, an Embraer passenger jet crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday (December 25), killing 38 people, after diverting from an area of Russia that Moscow has recently defended against Ukrainian drone attacks. 29 survivors received hospital treatment. Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 deviated hundreds of miles from its planned route while travelling from Azerbaijan to Russia, ultimately crashing on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea. Russia's aviation watchdog indicated that the emergency situation might have been caused by a bird strike.