Plane veers off airport runway in South Korea and crashes, killing at least 96: reports

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A Jeju Air flight drove off the runway in South Korea and collided with a fence, leaving at least 96 passengers dead, the Associated Press reported.

The Yonhap News Agency attributed the devastating crash to malfunctioning landing gear.

Jeju Air, a low-cost airline in South Korea, was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members in the Boeing 737-800 when the incident occurred Sunday morning local time at Muan International Airport in Muan County, South Jeolla Province, roughly 180 miles south of Seoul.

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Firefighters carry out extinguishing operations on an aircraft which drove off runaway at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on Dec. 29. (Yonhap via Reuters)

Firefighters carry out extinguishing operations on an aircraft which drove off runaway at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on Dec. 29. (Yonhap via Reuters)

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  A screengrab from video footage captured near Muan International Airport shows black smoke billowing into the air from the airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on Dec. 29. (Yonhap via REUTERS)

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  A Jeju Air Boeing 737-8FH on the runway at Jeju International Airport in Jeju, South Korea, in 2018. (S3studio/Getty Images)

The plane landed at 9:07 a.m. local time at the airport when the incident happened. 

According to the Associated Press, the passenger plane slammed into a concrete fence on the runway after its front landing gear failed to deploy. 

The National Fire Agency said officials were still trying to pull people from the wreckage.

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The plane was flying back to South Korea from Thailand, the Yonhap News Agency reported.

Photos shared by local media showed smoke billowing out of the plane.

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. 

Story tips and ideas can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X: @s_rumpfwhitten.