An Airbus aircraft operated by South Korean airline Air Busan was engulfed in flames on Tuesday at Gimhae International Airport in the southern part of the country. The incident occurred as the plane was preparing to depart for Hong Kong, according to fire officials. The 169 passengers and seven crew members on board were safely evacuated, although three individuals sustained minor injuries.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze, which originated inside the aircraft, shortly before 10:30 p.m. Local media reports suggest that the fire started in the tail section of the plane. Video footage broadcast by local media outlets depicted evacuation slides being deployed on both sides of the single-aisle aircraft, with emergency personnel battling smoke and flames emanating from the jet.
Subsequent footage revealed charred holes along the length of the aircraft’s fuselage roof. This incident comes just a month after the deadliest aviation disaster in South Korean history, when a Jeju Air plane from Bangkok crashed on the runway of Muan Airport during an emergency landing. Only two of the 181 passengers and crew members survived the crash.
Air Busan, a budget airline, is a subsidiary of South Korea’s Asiana Airlines, which was purchased by Korean Air in December. Airbus, the manufacturer of the plane, acknowledged the incident and stated that it was in communication with Air Busan.
The aircraft involved in the incident is a 17-year-old Airbus A321ceo model, bearing the tail number HL7763, as per the Aviation Safety Network, a reputable database managed by the Flight Safety Foundation. Neither Air Busan nor Asiana Airlines have issued a statement regarding the incident, and Korean Air has directed all inquiries to Air Busan.