Watch: Asiana Airlines flight has narrow escape as passenger opens emergency exit while plane is landing

Passengers on an Asiana Airlines flight had  a narrow escape as a flyer seated near the emergency exit suddenly opened the door as the plane was approaching to land on the runway of an airport in South Korea on Friday.

Although the plane landed safely, several passengers were hospitalised.

The Airbus A321-200 was carrying nearly 200 passengers as it came in to land at Daegu International Airport, about 240 kilometres from Seoul, when the shocking incident took place.

When the plane was still about 200 metres above the ground, a passenger sitting near the emergency exit “opened the door manually by touching the lever”, the South Korean carrier’s representative told leading news agency AFP.

The sudden opening of the door at such a high speed led to several passengers having breathing difficulties, and some people were taken to a hospital after the landing, Asiana Airlines said. However, fortunately there were no major injuries or damage.