Air disaster: What is behind the crash of a military plane in South Korea?

A South Korean Navy P-3C patrol aircraft has tragically crashed, Yonhap news agency reported, citing a statement from the country's Navy. It is the first time a plane of this type has crashed in the history of the South Korean military.

According to the details of the incident, the maritime patrol aircraft took off from an air base in the South Korean city of Pohang at 1:43 p.m. on a scheduled training flight. However, it crashed for unknown reasons just six minutes later, at around 1:49 p.m. Local residents also confirmed that heavy smoke appeared in the hills near the base after the plane took off.

Search and rescue operations were immediately launched at the scene of the accident. The fire and rescue service sent 17 special equipment and about 40 rescuers to the scene. As a result of the rapid search operations, the bodies of three of the four people on board the aircraft were found. Two of them were officially declared dead. The search for the fourth crew member is currently ongoing.

Acting South Korean President Lee Ju-ho took personal control of the situation and gave a clear instruction to Acting Defense Minister Kim Son-ho to accelerate search and rescue operations and eliminate any damage that may be caused to the environment as a result of the aircraft crash.

A special investigation team has been formed into the incident and a comprehensive investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the plane crash. So far, no official information has been provided about the exact causes of the accident.

It is worth recalling that P-3C aircraft are of great importance to the South Korean Navy and are known as the "submarine killer". Currently, the country's naval forces have a total of 16 such aircraft. Officials are expected to provide additional information on the details.