The Daily Star Ireland
A tragic plane crash involving a Jeju Air flight from Bangkok to South Korea has resulted in the deaths of 179 people, with only two survivors, both flight crew members, according to South Korea’s fire agency. The flight, carrying 175 passengers and six crew, attempted to land at Muan International Airport shortly after 9 am local time.
The Boeing 737-800, identified as flight 7C2216, was seen skidding down the runway without visible landing gear before crashing into a wall, erupting in flames. Local fire officials reported that passengers were ejected from the aircraft upon impact, leaving little chance of survival. The crash site, described as almost completely destroyed, made the identification of victims challenging and time-consuming.
Images from the scene showed the plane’s tail section engulfed in flames near the runway, surrounded by firefighters and emergency vehicles. Muan International Airport is located in Muan County, approximately 288 km southwest of Seoul. The fire agency mobilized 32 fire engines and numerous firefighters to respond to the disaster.
The Ministry of Land confirmed the presence of two Thai nationals among the passengers, with the rest believed to be South Koreans. The initial fire was extinguished, and search and rescue operations were underway. The two surviving crew members, a man and a woman, were rescued from the tail section and are being treated for medium to severe injuries.
Investigators are considering bird strikes and weather conditions as possible causes of the crash. Airport authorities suggested that a bird strike might have caused the landing gear to malfunction. Authorities continue to search nearby areas for bodies possibly ejected during the crash.
This incident is the deadliest air accident on South Korean soil in nearly three decades. Family members of the victims gathered at the airport, distraught and seeking information. Authorities set up a temporary morgue and mortuary vehicles to manage the deceased.
The crash marks the worst disaster for a South Korean airline since the 1997 Korean Air crash in Guam, which claimed over 200 lives. The control tower had issued a bird strike warning before the crash, and the pilots declared a mayday before attempting to land. Reports suggest that a bird was stuck in the wing, according to a final message from one of the passengers.
