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Dozens killed in plane crash at South Korea airport
A plane carrying 181 passengers has crashed at an airport in South Korea, killing at least 85 people, the country’s fire service has said.
The aircraft came off the runway and crashed into a wall at Muan International Airport in the south west of the country, the Yonhap news agency reported.
The Jeju Air plane, which was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members, was returning from Bangkok in Thailand and crashed as it was landing.
Two people have been found alive so far and rescue operations were still under way, a fire official told the Reuters news agency.
Emergency services were attempting to rescue people in the tail section of the aircraft, an airport official said.
The passengers on board the flight included 173 South Koreans and two Thais, Yonhap reported.
The cause of the crash is still not known, but local media reported it may have been caused by birds getting caught in the plane’s systems.
According to the National Fire Agency, the 62 people killed included 37 women and 25 men.
Unverified footage uploaded to social media of the crash – which happened shortly after 09:00 local time (00:00 GMT) – shows the aircraft skidding off the runway and crashing into a wall, before part of it bursts into flames.
Other footage shows a large plume of black smoke rising into the sky.
One flight attendant and one passenger have been rescued so far, South Korea’s fire agency said in a statement, adding that 80 firefighters and more than 30 fire trucks had been deployed to the crash site.
Muan is about 178 miles (288 km) south of the capital, Seoul.
South Korea’s aviation industry is considered to have a solid track record for safety.
This crash is the first fatal accident in the history of Jeju Air, one of South Korea’s largest low-cost airlines, which was set up in 2005.
[BBC]
Latest News
President instructs officials to curb drug trafficking and underworld activities in prisons
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake directed officials to take immediate measures to suppress drug trafficking and underworld activities that operated within the prison system. These instructions were issued during a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat today (30).
The President emphasized the need to expedite legal proceedings related to inmates involved in drug and underworld-related activities. He also proposed adopting online methods to streamline the judicial process and highlighted the importance of enhancing infrastructure to address challenges associated with such digital systems.
Allegations of certain officials’ involvement in irregular activities within prisons were also addressed during the meeting. The President instructed that disciplinary actions be supplemented with appropriate legal measures against any officials found to be involved.
The discussion also focused on vacancies in the Government Analyst’s Department, with participants agreeing on the urgent need to fill these positions promptly.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala, Minister of Justice and National Integration Attorney Harshana Nanayakkara, Secretary to the Ministry of Justice and National Integration Attorney Ayesha Jinasena, Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya, and other officials.
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Implement necessary plans swiftly to make Sri Lanka an attractive tourist destination – President instructs officials
President Anura Kumara Disanayake has instructed officials to promptly implement the necessary plans to position Sri Lanka as an attractive destination for tourists.
He further emphasized that the successful implementation of the “Clean Sri Lanka” initiative would strengthen efforts to promote the tourism industry.
The President made these remarks during a meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat today (30), where discussions were held on positioning Sri Lanka as one of Asia’s most valuable and environmentally sustainable islands.
Additionally, discussions focused on promoting the tourism sector through environmental and cultural avenues. Special attention was given to uniting all stakeholders from both the formal and informal sectors to advance the country’s tourism industry.
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Major General Lasantha Rodrigo and Rear Admiral Kanchnna Banagoda appointed as new Army and Navy Commanders
President Anura Kumar Disanayake has appointed Major General Lasantha Rodrigo as the new Commander of the Army and Rear Admiral Kanchnna Banagoda as the new Commander of the Navy.
The official appointment letters were presented to the newly appointed commanders today (30) by Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, at the Presidential Secretariat.
Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage and Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera are scheduled to retire from their respective positions tomorrow (31).
(PMD)
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