This year ends with deep wounds that will never heal. In the past 24 hours, three major air disasters struck three countries. The first devastating plane crash occurred at South Korea’s Muan International Airport when Jeju Air’s flight carrying 181 passengers crashed, bursting into flames, tragically killing 179 people. The second accident occurred at Canada's Halifax Airport, where an Air Canada flight had a perilous landing, skidding off the runway and catching fire due to a landing gear failure. The third incident was at Norway’s Oslo Airport.
Firstly, discussing the South Korean air catastrophe, on Sunday, a Jeju Air aircraft carrying 181 people crashed at South Korea's Muan International Airport. The fire claimed 179 lives, while two individuals were miraculously rescued. This tragedy marks one of the deadliest aviation disasters in the nation's history.
The 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet had arrived from Bangkok, Thailand. It veered off the runway, with its landing gear malfunctioning, hitting a concrete barrier while attempting to land at 9:07 am local time. Authorities suspect bird strikes might have caused the landing gear malfunction. The collision ignited a fire, with thick smoke and flames engulfing the aircraft.
According to the National Fire Agency of South Korea, the accident resulted in 179 deaths, including 83 women and 82 men, with some identities still unconfirmed. Emergency crews managed to save two conscious survivors.
The Second Tragedy in Canada
The second incident unfolded in Canada. An Air Canada flight experienced a hazardous landing at Halifax Airport, skidding off the runway. Its landing gear broke, causing a fire. Fortunately, there were no casualties. This mishap occurred when a landing gear malfunction led the wing to contact the runway, sparking a blaze. Emergency teams swiftly arrived to extinguish the fire and ensure the safety of all passengers and crew onboard.
Source: aajtak
A passenger aboard the flight told CBC News that one tire didn’t deploy correctly during landing, causing the plane to tilt about 20 degrees to the left. The witness described hearing a loud sound akin to a collision, with the wing scraping the tarmac. It’s also believed that the engine skidded across the runway. As a precaution, Halifax Airport was temporarily closed.
A Third Accident Strikes Oslo, Norway
The third incident occurred in Norway. A KLM aircraft landed at 7:14 pm local time at the Torp Sandefjord Airport. Miraculously, all 182 people aboard, including the crew, were safe. The flight had departed from Oslo at 6:55 pm when passengers and crew reported hearing a loud noise shortly after takeoff. KLM stated that pilots had to divert for safety due to this loud noise. Local media reported that smoke was seen emanating from the left engine after which the aircraft landed, sliding off the runway into grass.
