Fire Forces Evacuation of 176 Passengers in South Korea

An Air Busan Airbus A321 caught fire at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, just before its scheduled departure to Hong Kong, leading to the evacuation of all 176 people on board, including 169 passengers and seven crew members. The fire reportedly began at the tail of the aircraft shortly before takeoff on January 28, 2024, and firefighters were able to extinguish it within an hour. While all individuals evacuated safely using emergency inflatable slides, three passengers sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the process. This incident follows a recent tragic air disaster in December, where a Jeju Air plane crash killed 179 people. No cause for the fire has been confirmed yet, but authorities are investigating the situation. The swift response from emergency services has been credited with preventing further injuries and casualties.