At Least 179 People Dead, Including a 3-Year-Old Boy, After Plane Crashes During Landing in South Korea

A passenger plane has crashed in South Korea, killing 179 people, including a three-year-old boy.

Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 “caught fire while landing” at Muan International Airport at around 9:03 a.m. local time on Sunday, December 29, the airline’s CEO Kim E-bae confirmed in a statement on Instagram.

The plane, with 175 passengers and six crew members, was flying from Bangkok when it “overran the runway” after landing and “collided” with a concrete fence at the airport, according to local police and firefighters, South Korean news agency Yonhap and CNN reported.

A three-year-old boy is among the victims identified in the crash, Muan Fire Chief Lee Jeong-Hyun announced at a press briefing, according to CNN.

Two crew members were the only survivors of the accident. They were rescued with “moderate” injuries from the tail part of the wreckage, The Guardian reported. Both are currently in hospital.

Fire authorities search for the missing and find the dead at the scene of a crash near Muan International Airport in South Korea on December 29.

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Footage of the crash released online shows the jet skidding off the runway due to what appeared to be a landing malfunction, before hitting a concrete barrier and bursting into flames. The plane was completely destroyed in the crash, except for the tail part.

The incident is believed to be caused by “a bird strike combined with adverse weather conditions,” Jeong-hyun said, according to The Guardian. He added that “the exact cause will be announced after a joint investigation.”

Jeju Air CEO E-bae said in a statement: “I would like to express my deepest condolences and apologies to the passengers and their families.”

“Currently, it is difficult to assess the cause of the accident and we have to wait for the official investigation by the competent state agency. As a director, I feel responsible regardless of the cause of the accident… [Jeju Air] we will do our best to find out the cause of the accident with the government,” he continued.

According to E-bae, there were “no signs of trouble” before the incident. The plane had been flying for 15 years before the crash with no history of accidents, a company official told Yonhap.

Witness Yoo Jae-yong, 41, told the news agency: “I told my family there was a problem with the plane when I heard a loud explosion.” Another witness, Kim Yong-cheol, 70, said they also heard a “loud explosion” when the plane crashed after trying to land a second time, per The Guardian.

Rescue teams carry the body of a passenger at the site of the Jeju Air crash on December 29.

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So far, 56 victims of the accident have been identified, and most of the passengers are South Koreans and two Thais. Time reported. Among the mentioned victims are 84 women, 82 men and 11 others whose gender remains unidentified, according to the publication.

Both black boxes from the jet were recovered after the incident. They include flight data and voice recordings, the country’s ministry confirmed to CNN and The Guardian.

The plane’s manufacturer, Boeing, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that they were “in contact with Jeju Air” regarding the incident and were “ready to support them”.

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Over 700 police, military and coast guard personnel are currently on the ground at the airport to continue to respond, searching for and identifying victims. The bodies of the dead will be released for burial after the identification process is completed, according to CNN.

Acting South Korean President Choi Sang-mok reacted to the incident, telling Reuters: “The government wishes to express its sincere condolences to the bereaved families and will do its best to recover from this accident and prevent a recurrence.”

The investigation into the cause of the incident is still ongoing.

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Source: HIS Education