Cabin Crew: "Fire Ignited in Rear Overhead Bin, Immediately Reported to Captain"
Captain Declared Emergency Evacuation After Shutting Off Hydraulic and Fuel Systems
Air Busan announced its official statement on the evacuation details regarding the fire on flight BX391 from Busan to Hong Kong that occurred the previous day on the 29th.
According to Air Busan, the Airbus (A321) scheduled to depart at 9:55 PM on the 28th was delayed by about 20 minutes, during which a fire broke out near the rear of the cabin.
There were a total of 176 people on board, including 169 passengers (22 of whom were foreigners), 6 crew members, and 1 maintenance staff. Among them, 3 people sustained minor injuries during the emergency evacuation and were transported to the hospital; 2 of them returned home after treatment. Four crew members were also taken to the hospital due to smoke inhalation and were discharged after receiving medical care with no further issues.
On the 29th, Park Hyung-jun, Mayor of Busan (far left), and firefighters who visited the site of the Air Busan aircraft fire accident are looking at the burnt aircraft.
Air Busan explained that after all passengers had boarded and before the aircraft took off, a fire broke out near the rear of the cabin, prompting all passengers and crew to evacuate promptly.
The crew member who first witnessed the fire said, “I confirmed the ignition from the left rear overhead bin and guided all passengers to evacuate to the lounge.”
The cabin crew who confirmed the fire immediately reported the situation to the captain, who then promptly shut off the hydraulic and fuel system devices to prevent secondary damage and declared an emergency evacuation.
Air Busan stated, “There was no time to make a separate announcement as the situation unfolded simultaneously and urgently,” and added, “We took swift action according to the relevant procedures within a short time to carry out the evacuation.”
They also clarified reports that a passenger, not a crew member, opened the emergency exit. Passengers seated at the emergency exit must receive guidance from the crew on how to operate the emergency exit in case of evacuation and agree to assist the crew; only then can they be seated there. It was explained that passengers seated at the emergency exit can directly operate and evacuate through the emergency exit during an emergency.
On that day, Air Busan provided transportation expenses for domestic passengers and separately arranged accommodation for the 22 foreign guests.
They also announced the schedule for replacement flights. Flight BX3971 is scheduled to depart from Busan to Hong Kong at 10:00 PM on the 29th, and flight BX3972 will depart from Hong Kong to Busan at 3:10 AM on the 30th.
Busan Mayor Park Hyung-jun and other Busan city officials visited Gimhae Airport on the morning of the 30th to inspect the accident site and hold a countermeasure meeting.
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