New Delhi: A fire broke out on an Air Busan Airbus A321 passenger plane at Gimhae International Airport in South Korea on Tuesday night, prompting all 176 people on board, including 169 passengers and seven crew members to be evacuated, with one individual suffering minor injuries, according to local media reports. The plane was preparing for departure to Hong Kong when the fire was reported in its tail.
The incident occurred at 10.15pm local time (1315 GMT). The passengers were evacuated using inflatable slides and the fire was extinguished quickly. No official statement has been made so far regarding the cause of the fire, but local media reported that it started in the aircraft’s tail section.
A budget airline and subsidiary of Asiana Airlines
Airbus, the manufacturer of the A321 model involved, confirmed it is aware of the incident and is liaising with Air Busan, a budget airline and subsidiary of Asiana Airlines, according to a Reuters report. The airline has not commented on the matter.
The plane is a 17-year-old Airbus A321ceo model with tail number HL7763, according to Aviation Safety Network.
Another incident last month
This incident follows closely on the heels of the deadliest air disaster on South Korean soil in recent history. On December 29, a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crashed at Muan International Airport after its landing gear failed to deploy during an emergency belly landing. The aircraft skidded off the runway, struck a concrete structure, and caught fire, killing 179 of the 181 people on board.
An investigation report published on Monday indicated the presence of bird strike traces in the aircraft’s engine. The victims were primarily South Korean nationals, with two Thai nationals among the deceased.
