SEOUL, South Korea –
South Korean media reports that 28 people have been confirmed dead after a plane caught fire at an airport in the south of the country.
South Korea’s emergency office said the fire was put out and rescue officials were trying to remove passengers from the Jeju Air passenger plane at the airport in the South Korean city of Muan. He said the plane with about 180 people was returning from Bangkok.
The Yonhap news agency reported 28 deaths, but the emergency office could not immediately confirm the death toll. Other South Korean media outlets suffered similar losses.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s previous story is below:
A plane with defective landing gear skidded off the runway, crashed into a fence and caught fire Sunday at an airport in southern South Korea, according to the emergency office and local media.
South Korean media reported that the fire left more than 20 people dead or injured, but the emergency office said it could not immediately confirm the reported casualties. He said two people were evacuated to safety.
The office said the fire was put out and rescue officials were trying to remove passengers from the Jeju Air passenger plane at the airport in the South Korean city of Muan. He said the plane with about 180 people was returning from Bangkok.
The Yonhap news agency reported that the plane skidded off the runway and hit a fence. Emergency officials said they were examining the exact cause of the fire.
Local television stations broadcast images showing thick plumes of black smoke billowing from the plane engulfed in flames.
