Plane with 181 on board crashes in South Korea, killing 85
International Desk
About 85 people are confirmed dead after a Jeju Air plane crashed on landing in South Korea, the country's fire agency said Sunday, with dramatic video showing the aircraft bursting into flames.
"So far two rescued, 85 dead," the national fire agency said in a statement, adding that 25 of the victims were male, 37 female.
A plane carrying 181 people crashed at Muan international airport in South Korea on Sunday.
The crash is believed to have been caused by "contact with birds, resulting in malfunctioning landing gear" as the plane attempted to land at the airport in the country's southwest, Yonhap news agency reported.
There were 175 passengers and 6 crew members on board, it added.
A photo showed the tail section of the jet engulfed in flames on what appeared to be the side of the runway, with firefighters and emergency vehicles nearby.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok called for the mobilisation of all resources to save the passengers.
"All related agencies... must mobilise all available resources to save the personnel," he instructed officials in a statement.
