Plane crash in South Korea kills 179, 2 survivors rescued

A devastating plane crash occurred at Muan International Airport in South Korea on Sunday morning when a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crashed, resulting in 179 presumed deaths. The flight, which had 175 passengers and six crew members aboard, was traveling from Bangkok, Thailand, and attempted an emergency landing at 9:07 a.m. local time. The aircraft reportedly experienced a landing gear failure before veering off the runway and colliding with a concrete barrier. Upon impact, the plane exploded and caught fire, engulfing much of the aircraft in flames.

Emergency responders arrived at the scene promptly and confirmed that two individuals survived the crash: both are flight attendants. The National Fire Agency confirmed the recovery of 127 bodies, including 59 women, 59 men, and nine whose gender has not yet been identified. Rescue operations have shifted to recovery efforts, with authorities working to extract additional victims from the wreckage.

The crash occurred when the aircraft's landing gear reportedly failed, with authorities suspecting a bird strike as a possible cause of the malfunction. Eyewitnesses described hearing loud bangs just before the plane struck the perimeter wall. According to initial reports, the plane attempted a belly landing without landing gear, causing it to lose control and crash violently into the wall. The crash left the plane's fuselage nearly destroyed, with only the tail section remaining recognizable among the wreckage.

Jeju Air, one of South Korea's largest low-cost carriers, issued a statement of apology, expressing deep condolences to the victims and their families. CEO Kim E-Bae stated, "I bow my head and offer my sincere apologies to everyone who has supported Jeju Air. Above all, I express my deepest condolences and apologies to the passengers who lost their lives in the accident and to their bereaved families." The airline confirmed this is the first fatal crash in its history since its establishment in 2005.

This crash is South Korea’s deadliest aviation disaster and marks the first major incident at Muan International Airport, a key regional hub in the southwestern coastal region of South Jeolla Province. Acting President Choi Sang-mok, who assumed leadership after political upheaval, has directed all government agencies to prioritize recovery operations and launch a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash. This incident follows the December 25 crash-landing of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight in Kazakhstan, which resulted in 38 fatalities.