South Korea is in mourning after a devastating plane crash claimed the lives of 179 people, making it the country’s deadliest aviation disaster. The Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 was carrying 181 passengers and crew from Thailand to South Korea when it crash-landed at Muan International Airport on Sunday.
The plane skidded off the runway upon arrival, bursting into flames after colliding with a wall. Miraculously, two flight attendants survived the crash and were pulled from the twisted wreckage. Both are recovering in hospital, with one able to communicate with medical staff.
Authorities have cited a possible bird strike as the cause of the accident. Minutes before the tragedy, the control tower issued a warning about bird activity, and the pilot sent a “mayday” distress call shortly after.
Heart-wrenching video footage shows Jeju Air Flight 2216 landing on its belly, smoke billowing from its engines, before the catastrophic impact. Fire officials reported that the aircraft was “almost completely destroyed.”
A team of U.S. investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board, Boeing, and the Federal Aviation Administration has joined South Korean officials to probe the cause of the crash. Both black boxes—the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder—have been recovered.
Jeju Air’s top officials have issued a public apology, bowing deeply at a press conference in Seoul. “We sincerely apologize for the pain and sorrow this tragedy has caused,” they said.
South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok declared a seven-day national mourning period and visited the crash site. “We will do everything in our power to investigate this incident thoroughly and prevent such a tragedy from happening again,” he stated.
Condolences have poured in from around the world, including messages from China, the United States, and the United Nations. Memorial altars are being set up nationwide for the public to pay their respects.
This marks the first fatal accident in Jeju Air’s history since its establishment in 2005. The airline is one of South Korea’s largest low-cost carriers.
Bird strikes have been known to cause severe aviation accidents globally, as they can lead to engine failure if birds are ingested into the engines. Aviation experts stress the importance of continued efforts to mitigate such risks, especially near airports.
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South Korea grieves after 179 die in its deadliest plane crash
cgtn.com
