대만서 항공기 비상착륙 사고 ... 47명 사망

Published : Jul 23, 2014 - 21:58 Updated : Jul 24, 2014 - 08:59

(부서진 기체 촬영: 대만애플데일리))

대만 서해안 외곽 섬에서 23일 오후 소형 항공기가 궂은 날씨 속에 비상 착륙을 시도하던 중 불이 나 47명의 사망자가 발생했다.

현지 뉴스전문 케이블 채널인 티브이비에스(TVBS) 등에 따르면 승객과 승무원 등 58명을 태운 대만 푸싱(復興)항공 소속 GE-222 소형 항공기가 이날 오후 6시45분(현지시간)께 펑후(澎湖)섬 마공(馬公)공항 인근에서 비상 착륙했다.

이 과정에서 기체에 불이 나면서 화염이 항공기 전체로 번진 것으로 알려졌다.

현지 언론은 지금까지 47명이 숨지고, 11명이 부상한 것으로 잠정 파악됐다고 전했다.

사고 장소는 한국인 관광객이 많이 찾지 않는 곳으로, 한국인 탑승 여부는 현재 확인되지 않고 있다.

목격자들은 항공기 추락 직후 '펑'하는 소리와 함께 기체가 화염에 휩싸였다고 진술했다.

부상자 등은 인근 대만 국군펑후병원 등지로 옮겨졌다.

사고 항공기는 이날 오후 5시께 대만 남부 가오슝(高雄) 공항을 이륙해 펑후섬 마궁공항에 착륙할 예정이었다.

기상 당국은 이날 오전 제10호 태풍 마트모가 대만을 관통한 여파로 사고 당시 기상 상황이 좋지 않았다고 밝혔다.

대만 교통부 민용항공국은 애초 가오슝 공항 이륙 35분 뒤인 이날 오후 5시35분께 마궁공항에 도착할 예정이었으나 현지 사정이 여의치 않아 사고 비행기가 장시간 회항했다고 설명했다.

민용항공국과 소방당국 등은 현장 주변을 폐쇄하고 사고 수습 작업을 진행하고 있다.

마궁공항은 이번 사고의 여파로 잠정 폐쇄됐다. (연합)

<관련 영문 뉴스>

Plane crashes in Taiwan, 47 trapped, feared dead

A plane landing in stormy weather crashed outside an airport on a small Taiwanese island late Wednesday, and the transport minister said 47 people were trapped and feared dead.

Another 11 people were injured when the ATR-72 operated by Taiwan's TransAsia Airways crashed on Penghu, an island in the Taiwan Strait between Taiwan and China, Transport Minister Yeh Kuang-shih was quoted as saying by the government's Central News Agency. The plane was arriving from Kaohsiung, a city in southern Taiwan.

The twin-engine turboprop plane crashed while making a second landing attempt with a total of 58 passengers and crew members aboard, according to Yeh.

President Ma Ying-jeou called it ``a very sad day in the history of Taiwanese aviation'' and ordered authorities to quickly clarify the details, said a spokesman for his office, Ma Wei-kuo, the news agency reported.

The plane crashed in the village of Xixi outside the airport. Photos in local media showed firefighters using flashlights to look at wreckage in the darkness, and buildings and cars damaged by debris.

About 200 military personnel were sent to help recover the people who were on the plane, Taiwanese Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Luo Shou-he said, according to the Central News Agency.

The ministry said military vehicles and ambulances were rushing people to hospitals and an air force rescue team was on standby to transfer survivors to Taiwan's main island if needed for treatment, the agency reported.

The flight left Kaohsiung at 4:53 p.m. for Magong on Penghu, according to the head of Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration, Jean Shen. The plane lost contact with the tower at 7:06 p.m. after saying it would make a second landing attempt.

Visibility as the plane approached was 1,600 meters (one mile), which met standards for landing, and two flights had landed before GE222, one at 5:34 p.m. and the other at 6:57 p.m., the aviation agency reported. Shen said the plane was 14 years old.

But the Central News Agency, citing the county fire department, said it appeared heavy rain reduced visibility and the pilot was forced to pull up and make the second landing attempt. The news agency had earlier quoted a local fire chief as saying 51 people had been killed.

Taiwan was battered by Typhoon Matmo overnight Tuesday, and the Central Weather Bureau warned of heavy rain Wednesday evening, even after the center of the storm had moved west to mainland China.

TransAsia Airways' general manager, Hsu Yi-Tsung, bowed deeply before reporters and tearfully apologized for the accident, the Central News Agency said.

Hsu said the carrier was arranging to take the relatives of passengers on the flight to Magong on Thursday morning and that it would spare no effort in the rescue and in handling the aftermath, the report said.

Taiwan's last major aviation disaster also was near Penghu. A China Airlines Boeing 747 broke apart in midair in 2002 and crashed into the Taiwan Strait, killing all 225 people aboard.

In October 2013, a Lao Airlines ATR-72 crashed during a heavy storm as it approached Pakse Airport in southern Laos, killing all 49 people on board. (AP)