UPDATE: 179 People Killed in South Korea’s Deadliest Plane Crash

A tragic plane crash in South Korea claims the lives of 179 people, marking the deadliest aviation disaster in the country’s history.

A Jeju Air flight crash-landed at an airport in South Korea on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of all passengers and most crew members.

Out of the 181 people on board the Boeing 737-800, 179 lost their lives. Only two cabin crew members survived and were rescued from the burning wreckage.

The plane landed at Muan International Airport in the southern part of the country, veering off the runway and colliding with a wall in a blazing explosion.

Flight 2216 was on its way back from Bangkok, Thailand, carrying six crew members and 175 passengers, many of whom were holidaymakers.

Heartbroken families gathered in tears in the airport’s arrival hall, anxiously awaiting identification of the bodies.

Some of the deceased could only be identified through their fingerprints.

Maeng Gi-su, aged 78, informed the BBC that his nephew and the nephew’s two sons were on board the plane.

The family embarked on their first international trip to celebrate the youngest son completing his college entrance exams.

“I can’t wrap my head around the fact that the entire family is gone. My heart hurts deeply,” he expressed.

According to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, the passengers comprised 173 South Koreans and two Thai nationals. Their ages ranged from 3 to 78 years, with the majority being in their 40s, 50s, and 60s.

Footage of the crash, which occurred shortly after 09:00 local time (00:00 GMT), showed the aircraft landing without its wheels. The plane overshot the runway and collided with the airport’s perimeter wall before bursting into flames.

An investigation into the cause is currently in progress. Initially, there were no reports of any issues with the plane or its maintenance during take-off.

Transport officials in South Korea have reported that the plane encountered difficulties during its landing approach. The pilot, who has over 6,800 hours of flight experience, aborted the initial landing attempt due to interference from birds.

Shortly thereafter, the pilot sent out a mayday call and attempted an emergency landing that ultimately proved unsuccessful.

Local media reported that birds becoming entangled in the plane’s systems may have caused a malfunction with the landing gear.

According to South Korean News1 agency, a passenger sent a message to a relative stating that there was a bird trapped in the wing.

The catastrophe is a national tragedy for South Korea, which has been engulfed in a political crisis following the impeachment of both President Yoon and his temporary successor by parliament.

Appointed just on Friday, Acting President Choi Sang-mok visited the crash site on Sunday.

Choi expressed heartfelt condolences to the many victims of the incident and pledged to do everything possible to ensure a swift recovery for the injured.

Analysts have noted that South Korea’s airlines are often regarded as exemplifying “industry best practice” due to their strong safety records.

The Jeju Air crash marks the deadliest incident for a South Korean airline since the 1997 Korean Air disaster in Guam, which resulted in over 200 fatalities. Before this Sunday’s tragedy, the most severe accident on South Korean soil involved an Air China flight that claimed 129 lives.

The crash at Muan Airport represents the first fatal incident for Jeju Air, a major South Korean low-cost airline founded in 2005.

The executives of Jeju Air issued a public apology, bowing deeply during the press conference on Sunday.

“We sincerely apologize to everyone impacted by the incident and are committed to doing everything possible to resolve the situation,” stated the firm.

Boeing Airlines, the manufacturer of the 737-800 jet, has stated that it is in communication with the airline.

BBC