Air Busan A321 Catches Fire at Gimhae International Airport: All 179 Passengers Safely Evacuated
Firefighters responded within minutes and managed to extinguish the blaze
A passenger plane operated by Air Busan caught fire at Gimhae International Airport in South Korea just before it was scheduled to take off for Hong Kong.
On January 28, 2025, the incident involved an Airbus A321, which had 176 people on board, including 169 passengers and seven crew members. All were safely evacuated using inflatable slides, although seven individuals sustained minor injuries during the evacuation.
The fire broke out around 10:30 PM local time.
Firefighters responded within minutes and managed to extinguish the blaze approximately one hour later, at 11:31 PM. The fire reportedly started in the tail section of the aircraft and spread to the fuselage.
Dramatic images showed thick smoke billowing from the plane as firefighters worked to control the situation.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Initial reports suggest it may have been triggered by a portable battery stored in an overhead bin, which could have overheated and ignited.
This incident follows a recent deadly aviation disaster in South Korea where a Jeju Air flight crash-landed, resulting in 179 fatalities.
Following the incident, operations at Gimhae International Airport resumed normally on January 29, with only a few flights cancelled due to the fire.
The transport ministry has expressed concern over the recurrence of aviation accidents in light of recent events and is prioritizing safety investigations.
