A passenger plane that burst into flames after skidding off a runway at an airport in South Korea, killing at least 127 people, had been warned of a "bird strike" moments before the crash on Sunday, officials said.
The plane issued a distress signal a minute after receiving warning from the control tower at Muan International Airport, the Yonhap News Agency reported, citing officials from the Transport Ministry.
The pilot of the Jeju Air plane then tried to land in the opposite direction of the runway from the tower, before crashing into an outer wall, officials said.
The agency reported that the Air and Railway Accident Investigation Committee has collected black boxes from the plane, but it could take years for the exact cause of the accident to be determined.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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Khaleda Rahman
Khaleda Rahman is Newsweek's National Correspondent based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on abortion rights, race, education, sexual ...
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