A man has been arrested for opening the emergency door of an Asiana Airlines flight as it was landing at Daegu International Airport in South Korea sending passengers into panic. The incident occurred on Flight OZ8124, an Airbus A321-200 jet, which had taken off from Jeju Island earlier that day.
Fortunately, all 194 passengers on board survived the ordeal, although some experienced distressing symptoms such as fainting and breathing difficulties and were subsequently taken to the hospital.
Eyewitnesses and passengers have recounted the terrifying moments during the incident. According to reports, as the plane was approaching the runway, the man, in his 30s, opened the emergency door despite the protests of flight attendants.
The aircraft was still approximately 250 meters from the ground when the door was opened, leading to a rush of wind buffeting the rows of seated passengers. Disturbing footage captured by a passenger and shared on social media shows the unnerving gap in the side of the plane caused by the open door.
"It was chaos with people close to the door appearing to faint one by one and flight attendants calling out for doctors on board through broadcasting," described a 44-year-old passenger in an interview with Yonhap news agency.
The fear and panic spread among the passengers, with some believing that the plane was in imminent danger. One passenger shared, "I thought the plane was blowing up. I thought I was going to die like this."
The incident has left passengers traumatised, including several school children who were onboard the flight. They were en route to a weekend sporting event, and the mother of one of the students expressed her distress, stating, "The children were shaking, crying, and frightened."
Authorities acted swiftly, and the man responsible for opening the emergency door was arrested upon landing. Yonhap news agency reported that the suspect had not provided any explanation for his actions, and there was no evidence of intoxication at the time of his arrest.
An official stated, "It is difficult to have a normal conversation with him. We will investigate the motive of the crime and punish him accordingly."
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