Busan, Feb 7 South Korean Police on Friday raided Gimhae International Airport to secure evidence related to last week's fire in an Air Busan plane.
The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency said investigators aimed to secure surveillance camera footage from around the time the plane caught fire on January 28, shortly before taking off from the airport in Busan, about 320 kilometres southeast of Seoul.
"It will take several days just to receive documents (from the airport) due to their large quantity," a police official said, adding it will take even more time to analyse the material.
Police on Thursday raided the headquarters of Air Busan and secured flight operation data, as well as passenger lists.
The Air Busan plane bound for Hong Kong was carrying 176 passengers and crew members, and all were safely evacuated, though seven suffered minor injuries.
The transportation ministry, together with a French agency in charge of technical investigations of civil aviation accidents, launched a joint probe earlier this week to determine the cause of the fire, Yonhap news agency reported.
On December 29, South Korea was shaken by its deadliest aviation disaster in recent memory. A Jeju Air Boeing 737-800, en route from Thailand to Muan, crash-landed and erupted into a massive fireball after slamming into a concrete barrier at the end of the runway. The horrific incident claimed 179 lives out of the 181 passengers and crew on board.
As investigators delve into the cause, disturbing evidence has emerged: Both of the plane's engines contained duck blood and feathers. However, the exact cause of the crash remains undetermined.
Meanwhile, aviation officials are increasingly concerned about the growing role of lithium-ion batteries in airline safety. Devices such as power banks, cell phones, laptops, and e-cigarettes are raising alarms.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recorded 78 incidents involving lithium battery-related fires, smoke, or extreme heat in 2024 alone — more than double the number reported in 2016.
The rising frequency of these incidents underscores the urgent need for stricter regulations in air travel safety.
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