A passenger plane heading to Hong Kong caught fire at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, just before takeoff, which led to the evacuation of 169 passengers. On Tuesday evening, January 28, all 169 passengers, six crew members, and one ground service worker aboard the Airbus A321-200 of the Air Busan airline were evacuated via inflatable slides. During this, seven people sustained minor injuries. It has been reported that the fire started in the cockpit area around 22:26, shortly after the aircraft was supposed to take off. The Ministry plans to send seven staff members to the scene for investigation into the cause of the fire. Eyewitnesses reported that the Air Busan aircraft, model Airbus A321-200, was on a flight to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in Busan, which is approximately 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, caught fire in the cockpit area before takeoff. The fire was extinguished by 23:31, approximately an hour after the incident began, during which the cause of the incident remains under investigation. According to the information system of the aviation technology ministry, the Air Busan aircraft had been in operation for over 17 years, which is below the 20-year mark for conducting stricter checks. Firefighters reported that the fire likely started inside the cockpit area of the aircraft. They added that all 169 passengers, six crew members, and one ground service worker were evacuated via inflatable slides. The cause of the ignition was not immediately known. Right after the fire, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport formed a team to clarify the circumstances of what happened. It is also noted that the airline had not reported any accidents in the last 12 years. This incident occurred a month after the tragic crash of Jeju Air flight 2216 at the international airport in Muan, resulting in the death of 179 people. Preliminary investigations suggest that a bird strike might have led to a dual engine failure, which contributed to the crash.
