SEOUL, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- A total of 177 people were killed and two others went missing from a passenger airplane that crashed Sunday while landing at an airport in the southwest of South Korea, multiple media outlets reported, citing the fire authorities.
It was reported at about 9:03 a.m. local time (0003 GMT) that the airplane with 175 passengers, including 173 South Koreans and two Thais, together with six flight attendants on board crashed while attempting to land at the Muan International Airport, some 290 km southwest of the capital of Seoul.
The Jeju Air flight 7C2216 from Bangkok, Thailand landed without wheels, skidded off runway and hit the outer wall of the runway, with its fuselage broken in half and catching fire.
Only two crew members were rescued at the rear of the ill-fated aircraft, most part of which were severely damaged, but 177 people were confirmed dead.
Two others remained unaccounted for amid the ongoing search operations.
The local fire department estimated that there had been little chance of survival as passengers were thrown out of the fuselage after crashing into the wall.■