In one of South Korea’s worst aviation tragedies, a passenger airliner skidded and crashed while attempting to land at Muan International Airport, killing at least 179 people.
The Jeju Air flight, which was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members from Bangkok, Thailand, landed at Muan International Airport approximately 290 kilometers (180 miles) southwest of Seoul on Sunday at 9:03 a.m. local time (00:03 gmt).
National Fire Agency says two crew members were rescued and 179 people—85 women, 84 males, and 10 individuals whose genders were not immediately apparent—were killed. According to the service, the fire that consumed the aircraft was put out.
According to the agency, “contact with birds, resulting in malfunctioning landing gear” during the plane’s attempt to land at the airport is thought to have caused the tragedy.
The tragedy has been deemed the deadliest in South Korean history, according to Rob McBride of Al Jazeera, who reported from Seoul.
