Fire breaks out on South Korean airline plane, 176 passengers safely evacuated

A fire broke out on an Airbus A321, operated by South Korean budget carrier Air Busan, at Gimhae International Airport in Busan on Tuesday night, as the aircraft was preparing for departure to Hong Kong.

According to local fire authorities, the blaze started in the plane's tail just before 10:30 p.m. and prompted an emergency evacuation of all 169 passengers and seven crew members.

Three individuals sustained minor injuries during the evacuation, which was facilitated by the deployment of emergency slides on both sides of the plane.

Firefighters quickly responded, battling smoke and flames on the aircraft. Video footage from local broadcaster YTN showed emergency responders working to control the fire, with later images from Yonhap news agency revealing extensive damage to the fuselage, including burned-out holes along the roof of the aircraft.

The Airbus A321 involved in the incident is a 17-year-old model, identified by its tail number HL7763, according to the Aviation Safety Network.

The airline, part of South Korea’s Asiana Airlines—which was acquired by Korean Air in December—has yet to provide a public statement on the incident. Korean Air has referred inquiries to Air Busan.

This event comes nearly a month after South Korea’s deadliest air disaster in years, when a Jeju Air flight crashed at Muan Airport in late December.

In that tragic incident, a plane arriving from Bangkok was forced to make a belly landing, resulting in the deaths of all but two people onboard.

Airbus, the manufacturer of the aircraft, has confirmed that it is aware of the incident and is in communication with Air Busan for further investigation.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and authorities have not yet provided further details on the extent of the damage or the full circumstances surrounding the incident.