It's feared almost all the 181 people on board a plane have been killed after it skidded off a runway in South Korea.

The flight from Bangkok crashed on landing at Muan Airport - before hitting a wall and bursting into flames.

So far, just two people have been rescued from the wreckage.

There have been reports the landing gear of the Boeing 737 malfunctioned.

Rescue team members work at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Former pilot Marco Chan said it is possible that the incident could have been caused by a bird strike.

“I can see from the video, there’s no landing gear, it’s a belly landing – an incredibly difficult landing to do as well,” he said.

“You can see the aircraft skidding off the runway, crashing into a wall, turning into a fireball.

“So, initial thoughts, landing gear configuration, there's an abnormality of that, perhaps due to impact earlier on, sort of a technical malfunction.

“Of course, newer data shows that there could be a possible bird strike as well, and I can see the observers on the ground saying there’s a bird strike, they can hear the popping sound - perhaps the birds are getting ingested into the engine as well with the fireball on the right-hand side.”

However, he said further investigation is needed to understand why the landing gear had been damaged.

Poor weather conditions could have also played a part in the event.

Featured image: Firefighters and rescue team members work near the wreckage of a passenger plane at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)