While the case is still under investigation, there was quite a scene on a Korean Air flight this morning at South Korea’s Incheon International Airport.
Live Ammunitions Found On Board Korean Air This Morning
Based on multiple local reports, a Korean Air flight KE621 bound for Manila(MNL), was evacuated after a passenger found live ammunition under the seat of the economy class cabin before take off.
According to the Incheon International Airport Police, a report was received from the pilot that a live bullet was found on board the flight at around 8 AM. It is unclear how the ammunition flowed into the aircraft as South Korea is one of the most restrictive countries with firearms rules.
The affected flight was an Airbus A330-300 registered as HL7702. The aircraft was scheduled to depart Incheon Airport at 7:45 AM this morning however due to the incident, it was delayed until 11:30 AM after the security official and the airport Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team cleared the aircraft and passengers of further danger.
The flight then took off with 230 passengers including 12 crew members and landed in Manila, Philippines 3.5 hours behind schedule.
There are debates about how live ammunition may get into the aircraft:
- HL7702’s previous flight was from Da Nang(DAD), Vietnam. Would it had it been someone mistakenly brought live ammunition?
- Could security personnel drop the bullet while inspecting the cabin pre-departure from Incheon Airport?
- Generally, cabin cleaners will clean and inspect the cabin before the flight. So how this bullet under the seat was not found while cleaning?
If it occurred in Korea, it might take less time to identify who was the culprit however if it came from overseas, the investigation will surely take longer than expected.
South Korea Is One Of The Most Restrictive Country To Own A Firearm
The fact that South Korea’s conflict with North Korea, the country imposed heavy restrictions on firearm possession, unlike many other countries. Gun crimes and accidents are not common in Korea, where only air guns, rifles and shotguns authorized for hunting and industrial purposes are allowed to be used.
This is a very rare case and one of the rarest places for live ammunition to be found given that Incheon International Airport is considered the highest class of important national facilities.
Police officials said:
“We are investigating specific details such as how live ammunition had gotten into the plane. I understand that there are no additional facts confirmed yet.”
Summary
Live ammunition was found on a Korean Air flight bound for Manila this morning causing evacuations of 230 passengers on board just before taking off. It is a relief since there was no firearm found along with the ammunition or else this could have caused way bigger incidents.
Currently, this situation is under investigation and authorities are finding the cause of how it got on board.
In a country with the lowest gun crime rate, finding a bullet on board is a big issue in terms of security and safety.
