Mid-air horror! Fliers almost touch death after passenger opens plane emergency door before landing

• Passenger opens emergency exit on South Korean flight, causing air rush inside cabin
• Attempts to prevent door opening fail, resulting in partial opening
• No injuries reported, investigation underway into incident on Asiana Airlines flight

A passenger opened the emergency exit during a flight in South Korea on Friday, causing a gust of air inside the cabin before the plane landed safely, airline and government officials said.

Some people on board the Asiana Airlines Airbus A321 tried to prevent the person from opening the door, but it was eventually partially opened, the transport ministry said.

The plane, with 194 people on board, was heading to the southeastern city of Daegu from the southern island of Jeju. The flight usually takes about an hour and details of the incident, including how long the door was open, were under investigation, according to Asiana Airlines.

A video apparently taken by a person on board and posted on social media shows some passengers' hair being whipped by air blown into the cabin through open doors.

Police detained an unidentified person who opened the door, the airline said. Their motive was not immediately known. Among the passengers were teenage athletes who plan to attend athletics events in Ulsan, another city in the country's southeast.

The incident startled some passengers, but no one was injured, although some passengers were examined in hospital, Asiana and Transport Ministry officials said.