An Air Busan Airbus A321 caught fire while preparing to depart from Gimhae International Airport in Busan on January 28, 2025, injuring seven people. Authorities report that the majority of the injuries were minor, but one person is currently hospitalized.

The flight, headed for Hong Kong, was evacuating 169 passengers and seven flight crew members when the fire broke out in the rear section of the plane. Emergency responders quickly deployed inflatable slides for the evacuation.

Although the exact cause is still under investigation, local media suggested the fire may have been sparked by a portable battery stored in an overhead bin, which became compressed and ignited. Witnesses described a chaotic scene as thick black smoke filled the cabin. Passengers near the emergency exit opened the doors to begin the evacuation, aided by flight attendants.

The fire caused significant damage to nearly half of the aircraft’s fuselage, though the wings and engines were unaffected. Dramatic images showed thick smoke billowing from the plane and extensive burns to the upper fuselage.

The incident comes just a month after South Korea's deadliest aviation tragedy in recent years, when a Jeju Air Boeing 737 crashed on December 29, killing 179 people. South Korea's Minister of Transport, Park Sang-woo, expressed his condolences to the passengers and the public, acknowledging the distressing series of events.

The investigation into the fire's cause is ongoing, and authorities have yet to provide a timeline for the results.

Channelstv