An investigation into a fire that engulfed an Air Busan plane at a South Korean airport this week is being slowed by a large amount of fuel and oxygen still on board, an air crash investigation official told Reuters.

A passenger plane has caught fire before takeoff at an airport in South Korea, but all 176 people on board have been safely evacuated.

All 176 people were evacuated from an Air Busan jet that caught on fire at a South Korean airport, with reports suggesting a battery could be the cause.