Video | Plane crashes in South Korea after landing goes wrong; all onboard, except 2, presumed dead

A plane with malfunctioning landing gear veered off the runway during landing in South Korea, killing all, except two, according to reports. The incident happened at an airport in the southern city of Muan, about 288 kilometers southwest of Seoul. 

There were 181 onboard the flight that was returning to Muan from Bangkok, reported South Korean news agency Yonhap. One passenger and one crew member were reportedly rescued.

The plane veered off the runway and collided with a fence before turning into a fireball. The deceased were reportedly those who were seated at the tail section. Though the fire had been put out, officials were still trying to pull people from the wreckage.  

While emergency officials said they were examining the exact cause of the fire, reports suggest that the attempt to belly land after the failure of the landing gear may have caused the incident.

Videos from the accident site showed thick pillows of black smoke billowing from the plane engulfed with flame.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok instructed officials to make all-out efforts for the rescue operations. Choi was on his way to the accident site, his officials said. An emergency meeting will also be held between senior presidential staff later on Sunday to discuss the crash.

A statement by Jeju Air said it will spare no effort to respond to the accident. "We are currently working to determine the exact cause and details of the situation," a company official said. "The aircraft has been in operation for 15 years with no history of accidents."