Hong Kong-bound plane catches fire at South Korea’s Busan airport
169 passengers and seven crew members were evacuated, with seven people suffering minor injuries
Local media suggested the blaze on Air Busan Flight 391, which started at around 10.15pm, may have been caused by a portable battery stored in an overhead bin.
A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, according to the country’s transport ministry.
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Hong Kong-bound plane catches fire at South Korea’s Busan airport, leaving 3 injured
Authorities initially reported three injuries but revised the number to seven on Wednesday. One of them is currently hospitalised, the ministry added.
The accident left nearly half of the Airbus A321’s fuselage burnt but its wings and engines on both sides remained undamaged, it said, adding that the cause of the fire was still under investigation.
“It is unclear when we will be able to disclose the investigation findings on the cause of last night’s fire,” the ministry said in a statement.
Dramatic images and footage from local media on Tuesday night showed the aircraft engulfed in flames, with thick smoke appearing to billow from the interior of the plane.
