176 passengers and crew members were evacuated from an Air Busan aircraft after a fire erupted just before take-off at Gimhae International Airport, leading to multiple injuries.
South Korea's Air Busan Plane Fire Triggers Swift Evacuation
South Korea's Air Busan Plane Fire Triggers Swift Evacuation
A fierce blaze erupts in Busan, endangering passengers aboard an Airbus plane.
An Air Busan Airbus aircraft caught fire at Busan's Gimhae International Airport on Tuesday evening, necessitating the urgent evacuation of all 176 individuals onboard. Fire authorities report that the blaze, which ignited near the tail of the aircraft moments before its scheduled departure to Hong Kong, resulted in four injuries during the evacuation process.
Eyewitnesses recall the harrowing scene, with passengers escaping down inflatable slides as firefighters arrived within minutes to combat the flames that had spread to the fuselage of the aircraft. The incident unfolded around 22:26 local time (13:26 GMT), according to Yonhap news agency. Fire crews managed to reach the site just eight minutes later, quickly initiating firefighting efforts.
Photos depicting the emergency response show firefighters spraying water onto the burning plane, displaying the urgency of the situation. This incident marks a chilling follow-up to the Jeju Air disaster that occurred less than a month prior, which resulted in the tragic loss of 179 lives in a crash landing at Muan airport.
The cause of the fire on the Air Busan flight is still under investigation. Air Busan, recognized as a budget airline, operates under the umbrella of Asiana Airlines. Gimhae International Airport is located approximately 315 kilometers (195 miles) southeast of Seoul, South Korea’s capital.
