What we know about the plane crash in South Korea as 177 feared dead

On Sunday, an airplane crash in South Korea killing nearly 177 people left the country in shock. Jeju Air flight 7C2216 was traveling from Bangkok, Thailand, to Muan County, South Korea, when it crashed into a wall while attempting to belly-land. Videos from South Korean news channels show that the plane was attempting to land without its landing gear fully extended and burst into flames as soon as it crashed into the wall.

As per authorities, this tragic plane crash was one of the worst crashes of South Korean airlines in the past three decades. South Korea's acting president, Choi Sang-mok, said in a statement,

"I express my deepest condolences to the many victims in the incident. I will do all I can for the injured to quickly recover. I give my condolences to the victims and give my sincere regards to the bereaved families."

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What we know about the plane crash in South Korea

Jeju Air flight 7C2216 was reportedly carrying 181 people, including 6 crew members, when it crashed upon landing at South Korea's Muan International Airport on Sunday at around 9 a.m. local time. As per the authorities, the passengers included all South Korean nationals except two people who were from Thailand.

According to the Muan fire department, 177 people were confirmed to have died so far, and only two crew members, one male and another female, were recovered from the tail section of the plane in critical condition, who were transported to a local hospital and are expected to recover. However, the fire department could not rescue any other passengers due to the deadliest fire.

Among the victims there were 71 men, 71 women, and the rest of the passengers' genders were impossible to determine. The authorities have identified 22 victims so far and contacted their families. Although the firefighters rushed to the scene of the accident with fire extinguishers and water cannons, it was impossible to rescue the rest of the passengers due to the excessive fire, which left the plane unrecognizable.

The fire department said,

"The aircraft has almost completely been destroyed, and it is difficult to identify the deceased. We are in the process of recovering the remains, which will take time."

The cause of the accident is still unknown. However, Lee Jeong-hyun, Chief of the Muan Fire Department, stated that the authorities suspect the tragic plane crash may have been caused by a possible bird strike or poor weather conditions.

The control tower reportedly issued a bird strike warning, which led the pilots to declare mayday, an emergency signal used when the aircraft faces immediate life-threatening danger. However, the actual reason of what caused the plane to belly-land is still unclear, and the National Investigation Committee of South Korea is currently investigating the case.

"We will concentrate all resources on recovery and support for the victims. All necessary resources are being mobilized, and a special disaster zone has been declared," acting president of South Korea Choi Sang-mok stated.

Jeju Air CEO Kim E-Bae confirmed that the Boeing 737-800 jet showed no signs of malfunction, and it was also reported that no apparent issues were identified in the plane when it left Bangkok. Boeing extended their condolences to the victims' families in a social media statement.

Following this tragic incident, all domestic and international flights were cancelled at the Muan International Airport in South Korea. The families of the passengers gathered at the airport, where they were asked to leave their contact details in case the authorities could find their family member.