At least 62 dead after plane carrying 181 crashes at South Korean airport

SEOUL — At least 62 people died when a commercial airplane crashed Sunday at South Korea’s Muan International Airport, the country’s national fire agency said.
The plane, which was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members, veered off a runway while landing and caught fire after the crash, a National Fire Agency spokesperson said.
Two people — one passenger and one crew member — have been rescued, the spokesperson said.
The Jeju Air flight originated in Bangkok, the spokesperson said.
The first reports of the crash were made between 9:03 a.m. and 9:13 a.m. local time (7:03 p.m. and 9:13 p.m. ET Saturday), the spokesperson said. Firefighters put out the initial blaze at 9:46 a.m. local time.
Eighty firefighters and 32 fire trucks were responding to the crash scene at the airport in the southern city of Muan, the fire agency spokesperson said.
In a statement, the country’s national defense ministry said it convened an emergency response team and deployed military personnel and equipment to the site to provide support.
South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, and other officials called for immediate and full mobilization efforts “to put out the fire and rescue people,” the Ministry of Interior and Safety in a statement.
The presidential office said in a text briefing that an emergency meeting is being held over the airplane crash.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.