South Korea plane crash: 179 presumed dead, only 2 alive after Jeju flight explodes on runway
By Vinaykumar Patil | First Published Dec 29, 2024, 9:59 AM ISTA Jeju Air flight from Bangkok crashed at Muan International Airport in South Korea, leaving 179 people presumed dead and two survivors. The Boeing 737-800 failed to deploy its landing gear during an emergency landing, causing it to strike a wall and burst into flames.
In a tragic incident on Sunday morning, a Jeju Air flight travelling from Bangkok crashed during an emergency landing at Muan International Airport in South Korea. Authorities confirm that, of the 181 people on board, only two survivors—one passenger and one crew member—have been rescued, while the remaining 179 are presumed dead.
Rescue teams are continuing their search through the wreckage, where more bodies are believed to be trapped inside the fuselage. The two survivors were pulled from the tail section of the Boeing 737-800 and are currently receiving medical care at a nearby hospital.
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The aircraft, which was attempting a belly landing around 9:03 AM local time, suffered a failure in its landing gear, which reportedly failed to deploy. Witnesses who were present at the airport described hearing loud "bang" noises before the plane struck the airport’s perimeter wall. The impact caused the plane to break into two pieces and burst into flames.
Local media, including MBC, aired footage that seems to suggest the possibility of a bird strike as the plane descended. While this remains under investigation, it adds another layer of mystery to the crash.
If the death toll is confirmed, this tragedy will mark South Korea’s worst domestic civil aviation disaster. It will also go down as the first major fatality involving a low-cost carrier in the country’s history, according to the JoongAng Ilbo.
South Korea has witnessed several major aviation accidents in the past, including the 1993 Asiana Airlines crash in Mokpo that claimed 68 lives, and the 2002 Air China crash near Gimhae Airport, which killed 129 out of 166 passengers. However, this crash, if confirmed, would surpass those in terms of fatalities.
The crash has left the nation in shock, with families of the passengers and crew anxiously awaiting further updates. The authorities have vowed to continue their search for any additional survivors and are investigating the exact cause of the crash.
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