 "179 confirmed dead in South Korea’s worst plane crash in years")
A total of 179 people were killed in Sunday’s Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea, the country’s fire agency said as it announced a final toll from the disaster.
“Of the 179 dead, 65 have been identified,” the fire agency said of the crash at Muan International Airport, which two members of the crew survived.
Authorities cited a bird strike as the likely cause of the crash – the worst ever aviation disaster on South Korean soil – which flung passengers out of the plane and left it “almost completely destroyed”, according to fire officials.
“Passengers were ejected from the aircraft after it collided with the wall, leaving little chance of survival,” a local fire official told families at a briefing, according to a statement released by the fire brigade.
Footage of the crash aired by South Korean television channels showed the plane skidding across the airstrip at high speed, apparently with its landing gear still closed, overrunning the runway and colliding head-on with a concrete wall on the outskirts of the facility, triggering an explosion. Other local TV stations aired footage showing thick plumes of black smoke billowing from the plane, which was engulfed in flames.
South Korea declares 7 days of national mourning
Acting President Choi Sang-mok declared a national mourning period on Sunday following a devastating plane crash that left at least 177 people dead and two others missing, according to his office.
The announcement came during an emergency safety meeting convened hours after a passenger jet carrying 181 people crash-landed and exploded at an airport in Muan, a county in southwestern South Korea. Two crew members survived the tragic incident.
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More Shorts“We extend our deepest condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families of those who lost their lives in this unexpected tragedy,” Choi stated.
The national mourning period will span seven days, beginning Sunday and concluding at midnight on Saturday.
Jeju Air’s Chief Executive Officier Kim E-bae issued an official apology after one of its flights crashed in South Korea, killing at least 124 people, with authorities stating that other survivors are unlikely. Kim said that the company will make an “all-out effort” to cope and deal with the deadly plane crash.
“First, we bow our heads in apology to everyone who has trusted Jeju Air. At approximately 9:03 AM on 29 December, flight 7C2216 from Bangkok to Muan caught fire while landing at Muan International Airport,” Kim said in his official apology. “Above all, we express our deepest condolences and apologies to the families of the passengers who lost their lives in this accident. At present, the cause of the accident is difficult to determine, and we must await the official investigation results from the relevant government agencies,” he added.
Regardless of the cause, I feel profound responsibility: Kim
In the statement, Kim said that he feels responsible for the whole incident. “Regardless of the cause, as CEO, I feel profound responsibility for this incident. Jeju Air will do everything possible to promptly manage this accident and support the families of those aboard. We will also do our utmost to determine the cause of the accident in cooperation with the government,” he wrote in the statement, which was shared on the official website.
“Once again, we pray for those who lost their lives in this accident and offer our deepest apologies to their bereaved families,” he added. Except for the two rescued from the accident, all the missing people are presumed to have been killed. Firefighters are saying that they are now switching the rescue operation to a recovery mission. The officials stated that they have recovered 124 dead bodies from the site as of now.
The plane was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members. According to Yonhap, one passenger and one crew member – both women – were rescued shortly after the accident and were being treated at a hospital in Mokpo.
Authorities from Thailand and South Korea calls for an investigation
As per the reports, the plane was carrying 2 Thai nationals whose conditions are currently unknown. Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed her condolences to the families of the deceased and injured on social media platform, X. “I would like to express my condolences to the families of the deceased and injured,” she wrote in the post.
“I have ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to urgently investigate whether there are any Thai passengers on this plane and what the current situation is. I have ordered immediate assistance. If there are Thai passengers, please contact their families to inform them of the progress and have the Ministry of Foreign Affairs report the situation at all times,” she furthered.
กรณีสายการบินเจจูแอร์ ที่รายงานเบื้องต้นแจ้งเสียชีวิต 29 คน (รายงาน ณ ขณะนี้นะคะ)
— Ing Shin (@ingshin) December 29, 2024
ดิฉันขอแสดงความเสียใจต่อครอบครัวผู้เสียชีวิตและบาดเจ็บทุกท่าน
ดิฉันได้สั่งการให้กระทรวงการต่างประเทศเร่งตรวจสอบว่ามีคนไทยเป็นผู้โดยสารบนเครื่องบินลำนี้หรือไม่ และขณะนี้สถานการณ์เป็นอย่างไร…
Meanwhile, South Korea’s Deputy Prime Minister and acting President Choi Sang-mok arrived at the Muan International Airport to look into the matter. He also ordered all government-related agencies to make all-out efforts for rescue operations following the deadly crash.
During his visit, Choi ordered related agencies to utilize all available equipment, personnel and infrastructure to “save even one more life,” his office said. “I believe no words of consolation will be enough for the families who have suffered such a tragedy,” Choi said, adding that the government agencies are working closely to deal with the incident.
With inputs from agencies.
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