Horrifying moment caught on camera: Moment when South Korean plane skidded off, crashed in fiery explosion | Watch

A twin-engine aircraft carrying 170 passengers barged into a wall after skidding down the runway at a South Korean airport on Sunday. The horrifying moment caught on camera showed how Jeju Air Co. plane's ‘belly landing’ without gear ended in its fatal explosion of flame and debris.

Several videos of the accident have been doing rounds on the internet. According to news agency Reuters, around 80 people onboard the plane lost their lives in the accident. The rescue team reached the spot to begin the rescue operation.

There were several photos of the incident, which showed smoke and fire engulfing parts of the plane. The low-cost airline, Jeju Air Co, has released an official statement after the accident and assured investigation in the matter. 

"We at Jeju Air will do everything in our power in response to this accident. We sincerely apologise for causing concern," the airline said in a statement posted on social media.

South Korean Plane Crash

The crash occurred as Jeju Air flight 7C2216, carrying 175 passengers and six crew on a flight from the Thai capital Bangkok, was landing shortly after 9 a.m. (0000 GMT) at the airport in the south of the country, South Korea's transport ministry said.

Authorities were working to rescue people in the tail section, an airport official told Reuters shortly after the crash.Yonhap cited airport authorities as saying the landing gear may have malfunctioned due to a bird strike.

All the domestic and international flights at Muan airport had been cancelled due to the accident. 

A passenger texted a relative to say a bird was stuck in the wing, Reuters reported citing agency News1. The person's final message was, "Should I say my last words?"

Bird strike is among several theories that have not been verified, an official from the transport ministry's aviation department said, adding that the investigation was ongoing.

The plane was a Boeing 737-800 jet operated by Jeju Air, which was seeking details of the accident, including its casualties and cause, an airline spokesperson said.