A male individual has been detained following the unlawful operation of an emergency door on an Asiana Airlines aircraft during its landing in South Korea.
The flight, with a total of 194 passengers on board, managed to touch down securely with the door opening at Daegu International Airport this past Friday.
A few passengers passed out while others experienced difficulty breathing and were subsequently transported to a medical facility, as per reports by local news agencies.
The male suspect, who is in his 30s, was arrested as soon as the flight landed, according to the Yonhap news agency.
The Airbus A321-200 jet, known as Flight OZ8124, had departed from Jeju Island on Friday at approximately 11:45 local time (03:45 GMT).
About an hour into the flight, as the plane was approaching the runway, a man activated the emergency exit while the plane was still hovering 250m above the ground.
Footage captured by a passenger and subsequently posted on social media showed the gap on the left side of the aircraft, with winds causing turbulence among the seated passengers.
Flight staff were unable to restrain him due to the imminent landing, as recalled by eyewitnesses who spoke to local press.
Witnesses also reported that the man attempted to leap from the aircraft after the door was opened.
The terror on the plane has been vividly described by the passengers.
“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,” a 44-year-old passenger relayed to Yonhap.
“I thought the plane was blowing up. I thought I was going to die like this,” he elaborated.
A number of students, traveling for a weekend sports event, were also present on the flight.
A mother of one of the students expressed to Yonhap, “The children were trembling, weeping, and in a state of fear.”
Police reported that the suspect had yet to provide any rationale for his actions, and he was not drunk at the time of his arrest.
“It is difficult to have a normal conversation with him,” an official revealed. “We will investigate the motive of the crime and punish him.”
