Air Busan Deploys Temporary Flight to Hong Kong After Accident
Government Rules Out Terrorism; Most Passengers Return Home
Support Centers Established for Affected Travelers
The government has ruled out the possibility of terrorism in connection with the Air Busan passenger plane fire that occurred at Busan Gimhae Airport.
On the 29th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced, "As a result of a joint anti-terrorism investigation conducted with related agencies from 12:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. immediately after the accident, no suspicious items related to terrorism, such as hazardous materials, were found." The ministry plans to continue joint investigations with related agencies if new circumstances emerge during additional investigations.
Air Busan deployed a temporary flight to replace the canceled flight to Hong Kong due to the accident. Passengers who wished to board among the existing passengers departed from Gimhae Airport to Hong Kong that evening. Passengers who were scheduled to board the return flight as a follow-up to the accident aircraft are expected to board the return flight.
Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Sang-woo is presiding over the Central Accident Response Headquarters meeting related to the Air Busan passenger plane fire accident at Gimhae Airport, held on the morning of the 29th at the Government Complex Sejong. Photo by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
Among the 176 passengers, 165 (158 passengers, 6 crew members, and 1 maintenance worker) have returned home, and 10 foreign passengers are staying at a hotel. One injured person is receiving treatment at a hospital.
To support the affected passengers, Air Busan is operating a 'Comprehensive Support Center,' and the Busan Regional Aviation Office has also opened a complaint reception desk.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated, "Regarding the Air Busan (ABL391) passenger plane fire accident that occurred around 10:15 p.m. on the 28th, we have established a Central Accident Response Headquarters (Sejong Government Complex) and a Regional Accident Response Headquarters (Gimhae Airport) to fully focus on accident response and victim support."
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