On the 29th, the National Police Agency issued a Gapho emergency alert for the Muan area in Jeonnam, where a plane crash occurred at Muan Airport.
On the morning of the 29th, an aircraft landing at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do veered off the runway and crashed. Firefighters at the accident site are extinguishing fires and rescuing people. / Photo by Yonhap News Agency and a reader contributor
Gapho emergency is the highest level among security emergency stages. Police officers' leave is suspended, and 100% of available personnel are mobilized. Commanders and staff must be located in the office or on-site.
Nearby Hampyeong and Mokpo areas were issued an Eulho emergency alert. Eulho emergency is the second highest level after Gapho, issued when large-scale group incidents, terrorism, disasters, or signs of such events cause or are expected to cause public order disruption. Commanders and staff must be positioned on the command line, and up to 50% of available police forces can be mobilized.
Lee Ho-young, acting commissioner of the National Police Agency, urged in the morning, "Mobilize all available personnel, including the duty rapid response team, to thoroughly support emergency rescue," and requested "real-time sharing of information among related agencies such as fire departments, local governments, and the airport."
Meanwhile, the accident occurred at 9:03 a.m. when Jeju Air flight 7C2216 from Bangkok, Thailand, attempted to land on the runway of Muan International Airport and crashed. The aircraft collided with the outer wall of the runway, breaking in half and catching fire.
The aircraft model involved was a B737-800, carrying a total of 181 people, including 175 passengers and 6 crew members. So far, 28 people have been confirmed dead and 2 rescued. The number of casualties and injured is expected to rise.
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