A passenger aircraft at Gimhae International Airport in southeastern South Korea caught fire shortly before departure and was completely destroyed. All 176 occupants were safely evacuated.
The Airbus plane operated by South Korean airline Air Busan was set to depart for Hong Kong when its rear section caught fire, according to a statement from the Ministry of Transport. The 169 passengers, six crew members, and one aviation technician were evacuated via an emergency slide.
Three individuals sustained minor injuries during the evacuation. The fire department reported that the blaze was extinguished about an hour after firefighters arrived on the scene.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. The incident occurred a month after a Jeju Air passenger plane crashed at Muan International Airport in southern South Korea, resulting in the deaths of 179 people.
Only two crew members survived the crash. The cause of that accident has yet to be determined, but a preliminary investigation released on Monday indicated that traces of birds were found in the engines.
Source: NOS