Plane carrying 173 passengers fires on runway in the Philippines: No injuries | Abroad

An Airbus SE A330 flying from the South Korean capital, Seoul, had already made two previous attempts to land in bad weather, when the plane crossed the runway on the third attempt at around 11pm local time. Korean Air said in a statement.

“Passengers are being transported to three local hotels and an alternative flight is being arranged… We are currently investigating the cause of the accident,” she added. Pictures show that the nose and bottom of the fuselage were badly damaged.

The Philippine airport authorities said that the runway where the accident occurred is temporarily closed. According to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, other flights bound for Mactan Cebu have been diverted to other nearby airports or have been diverted.

Korean Air chief Keehong Woo apologized for the flight on the airline’s website. He said a “comprehensive investigation” would be conducted in cooperation with the Korean and local aviation authorities to determine the cause of the accident. “We remain committed to our promise of safe flights and will do everything in our power to take measures to prevent a recurrence,” she said.

Korean Air has not had a fatal accident since 1997, according to the Aviation Safety Network, a website that tracks plane crashes. According to FlightRadar24, the currently wrecked Airbus A330 was delivered to the South Korean airline in 1998.