An Air Busan airliner reportedly erupted in flames on the runway before taking off from an airport in South Korea.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The incident took place on Tuesday night at the Gimhae International Airport. The Air Busan Flight was ready to depart to an airport in Hong Kong. According to Sky News, the Korean Transport Ministry says that the plane was set to leave "before its rear parts burst into flames." The airliner had 165 passengers on board alongside six crew members and an engineer. Reports suggest that firefighters managed to put out the blaze after an hour at around 11:30 PM.
The outlet explains that the National Fire Agency reported three people with minor injuries. Emergency Services at the airport were able to evacuate everybody on board. According to local outlet Yonhap News Agency, the injury count rose to seven according to fire authorities on Wednesday.
Video Footage Shows Passengers Leaving The Plane As The Tail Smokes
Footage obtained by The Guardian shows the Air Busan plane at Gimhae International Airport ablaze. Bystanders could see fire and smoke a significant distance from the runway. There is also video footage of passengers evacuating the aircraft down an inflatable slide and ramps. Fliers exiting the aircraft look back at the plane and can see the tail smoking.
We can't see when the fire took hold, but it looks like it spread across the entire plane, including the cockpit. Firefighters can be seen dousing the flames from above. The Guardian reports that the aircraft is a 17-year-old Airbus A321ceo with the Tail Number HL7763. Air Busan is reportedly a budget airline and part of Asiana Airlines, which Korean Air acquired in December.
At the time of writing, investigators have not disclosed what caused the fire.
According to the New York Post, crew members account for four of the seven injured. Workers reported chest pain from smoke inhalation, while several passengers complained of back pain.
This latest aircraft accident comes less than a month after the worst aviation disaster in South Korean history. A passenger plane attempted to land at Muan International Airport, but the landing gear allegedly never deployed. The disaster claimed 179 lives, with only two on board surviving the crash.
