At Least 179 Dead After Plane Crashes and Bursts Into Flames at South Korean Airport
A plane carrying 181 passengers has crashed into a wall and burst into flames at Muan International Airport in South Korea, leaving at least 179 people feared dead.
The Jeju Air flight, which was returning from Bangkok, skidded off the runway and ploughed into the concrete wall before erupting into a ball of flames. Horrific footage shows the plane sliding along the runway before impact.
South Korea’s emergency office said the jet’s landing gear appeared to have malfunctioned, with a bird striking the aircraft among the theories that could have caused the crash.
The identities of the victims have been identified by their fingerprints, with 22 dead passengers announced by a medic in the airport’s arrivals hall. The still-rising death toll includes at least 82 men and 83 women.
Two crew members, a man and a woman, were miraculously rescued from the tail section of the burning plane. The passengers on board included 173 South Koreans and two Thais.
Mortuary vehicles lined up outside the airport as authorities said a temporary morgue had been established. The bodies of 11 other passengers were so badly injured that their gender was not immediately clear, officials said.
The runway at the Muan airport will be closed until January 1. The Juju Air website has been changed to a black background with a message expressing deep regret for the distress caused.
An investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of the crash, with a team of officials from the Korean Transport Ministry examining the wreckage.
The country’s emergency office has confirmed that there were no abnormal conditions with the aircraft or the runway before the crash.
