Investigators cautious of jet fuel still aboard wrecked South Korean plane

SEOUL: An investigation into a fire that engulfed an Air Busan plane at a South Korean airport this week is being slowed by a large amount of fuel and oxygen still on board, an air crash investigation official told Reuters.

Authorities on Friday conducted a risk management assessment ahead of a full investigation of the burned-out Airbus A321ceo plane which remains on the tarmac at Gimhae International Airport in the southern city of Busan.

The fire, which began around 10:15 p.m. (1315 GMT) on Tuesday as the jet was preparing for departure to Hong Kong, was first detected by a flight attendant in an overhead luggage bin in the rear left-hand side of the plane, an Air Busan spokesperson told Reuters on Friday.

All 169 passengers and seven crew members were evacuated using emergency slides after the fire broke out, with only a few minor injuries, Air Busan said.

The incident came a month after the deadliest air disaster on South Korean soil when a Jeju Air 089590.KS plane crashed on Muan Airport's runway as it made an emergency belly landing, killing all but two of the 181 people on board.

FUEL HAZARD

Air Busan's single-aisle 17-year-old plane has burnt out holes along the length of the fuselage roof. Its wings and engines were not burned, a transport ministry statement said.

The plane still contains around 35,900 lbs (16,280 kg) of jet fuel and other hazardous materials such as oxygen tanks, the transport ministry said on a statement on Thursday.

Authorities need to decide whether the fuel needs to be offloaded before a full investigation begins, the ministry said.

South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board is leading the investigation, and was joined on Thursday by representatives of France's BEA air accident investigation agency. France is the state of design for Airbus planes.