A South Korean plane veered off the runway upon landing, colliding with a concrete barrier and resulting in at least 177 fatalities, according to the Associated Press, citing the National Fire Agency (NFA).

Yonhap News Agency attributed this devastating crash, among the worst in the nation’s history, to a landing gear malfunction.

The Boeing 737-800, operated by Jeju Air, a South Korean budget airline, was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members. The incident occurred Sunday morning at Muan County airport in South Jeolla Province, approximately 180 miles south of Seoul.

The fire agency reported at least 177 deaths—84 women, 82 men, and 11 individuals whose gender wasn’t immediately determined.

The NFA stated that emergency responders rescued two conscious crew members. Three individuals remained unaccounted for approximately nine hours post-incident.

The plane touched down at 9:07 a.m. local time when the accident occurred.

The Associated Press reported that the aircraft struck a concrete barrier after its front landing gear failed to deploy.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the plane was returning to South Korea from Thailand.

Local media shared images showing smoke rising from the wreckage.

A senior Transport Ministry official, as reported by the AP, confirmed the retrieval of the flight data recorder; the search for the cockpit voice recorder was ongoing.