At least 124 dead as aircraft bursts into flames in South Korea

A Jeju Air passenger plane with 180 persons aboard burst into flames on the ground early Sunday morning in South Korea. 

The incident occurred in Muan, which lies about 290 kilometers from Seoul, the country’s capital city.

The plane has been identified as a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet that was returning from Bangkok in Thailand, with two Thai nationals on board.

Officials said about 124 persons have so far been confirmed dead, with the death toll expected to rise.

The plane had skid off the runway before ramming into a concrete fence when its front landing gear apparently failed to deploy.

Among the dead are 57 women, 54 men and others whose genders were not immediately identified.

Rescue workers are still searching for bodies strewn across the airport as thick, black smoke billows from the wreckage.

Lee Jeong-hyeon, chief of Muan fire station, said the plane was completely destroyed, with only the tail assembly remaining recognisable among the wreckage.

The incident comes with South Korea embroiled in a political crisis which has seen parliament impeach the president and acting president within a two-week span.