[Just two of the 181 people on board a South Korean airliner survived when the passenger jet crash-landed at an airport in the country’s southwest on Sunday morning local time. The aircraft skidded down a runway at Muan International Airport on its belly before bursting into flames. The two survivors, both crew members, were rescued from the plane’s tail section, the only part of the aircraft that retained some of its shape.
The crash is the deadliest aviation disaster to hit South Korea since 1997, when a Korean Airlines Boeing 747 crashed in the Guam jungle, leaving 228 people dead. The aircraft involved in the latest crash was a Boeing 737-800, which is described as a reliable workhorse of the skies with an extremely strong safety record.
The cause of the crash is still unknown, but some sort of landing gear malfunction was likely, according to local fire officials and aviation experts. The two “black boxes” from the airliner have been recovered, including flight data and voice record, which will offer crucial information for aviation safety investigators.
The scene inside Muan International Airport was one of heartbreak and anguish as relatives and loved ones waited for news of the victims. Many of those gathered burst into tears or cried out as authorities read victims’ names out loud. A passenger on the flight, just before the crash-landing, texted their friend to say a bird had struck the plane, according to messages published on CNN affiliate JTBC.
The tragic plane crash comes at a time of great uncertainty for South Korea’s government, which is facing a full-blown political crisis and leadership remains unresolved. Acting President Choi Sang-mok visited Muan International Airport on Sunday to pay his respects to the victims.
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