(9th LD) plane-crash
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| ▲ Flames rise from the wreckage of the Jeju Air passenger plane that crashed at the Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, about 288 kilometers southwest of Seoul, on Dec. 29, 2024, in this photo provided by a Yonhap reader. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This photo, provided by a Yonhap reader, shows the plane crash site at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, on Dec. 29, 2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Firefighting authorities carry out rescue operations at the plane crash site at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, in this photo provided by a Yonhap reader on Dec. 29, 2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ A passenger rescued from the plane crash at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, is transported to a hospital in Mokpo, a city in the same province, on Dec. 29, 2024. (Yonhap) |
(9th LD) plane-crash
(9th LD) Death toll rises to 151 in Jeju Air plane crash in Muan
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES death toll; ADDS details)
By Kim Seung-yeon
MUAN, South Korea, Dec. 29 (Yonhap) -- At least 151 people were killed and two were rescued after a passenger jet carrying 181 people belly-landed and exploded at an airport in South Korea's southwestern county of Muan on Sunday, authorities said, in yet another deadly aviation disaster in the country's history.
The accident happened at around 9 a.m. when the Jeju Air plane, carrying 175 passengers and six crew members, veered off the runway while landing at Muan International Airport in the Muan county, South Jeolla Province, about 288 kilometers southwest of Seoul.
The plane skidded along the ground without its landing gear deployed, crashing into a concrete wall before bursting into flames with a deafening explosion.
The authorities had confirmed 151 deaths from the accident as of 4:49 p.m.
Operations were under way to retrieve the bodies of the victims. They have identified 22 victims so far.
Authorities said earlier that all but the two were presumed to have been killed.
"After the plane collided with the wall, passengers were thrown out of the aircraft. The chances of survival are extremely low," a firefighting agency official said.
"The aircraft has almost completely been destroyed, and it is difficult to identify the deceased," the official said. "We are in the process of recovering the remains, which will take time."
Only the two crew members survived the accident as they were rescued shortly after the crash. They were treated at separate hospitals in Mokpo and have now been transported to Seoul. Their injuries were not life-threatening.
The 181 people were aboard the Boeing 737-800 plane that had departed from Bangkok at 1:30 a.m. It was scheduled to arrive in Muan at around 8:30 a.m.
Most of the passengers were Koreans, except for two Thai nationals.
A temporary morgue has been set up inside the Muan airport to lay the bodies of the victims.
Officials believe the landing gear failure, possibly due to a bird strike, may have caused the accident. They began an on-site investigation to determine the exact cause.
The South Jeolla authorities raised emergency alerts to the highest levels and deployed all available rescue and police personnel to the accident site.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok declared the Muan county as a special disaster zone as he visited the crash site to instruct officials to make all-out efforts for search operations.
Choi also expressed deep condolences to the bereaved family members and promised to offer them all possible government assistance.
The presidential office convened an emergency meeting of top secretaries earlier in the day and decided to maintain a round-the-clock emergency system for timely responses to the search and other operations.
At the meeting, presided over by presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk, the officials also discussed ways for interagency coordination on the probe into the accident, and medical and other support.
Acting National Police Agency Commissioner-General Lee Ho-young also ordered officials to mobilize all available resources and work with firefighting and other related agencies to help with the rescue efforts.
Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae issued an apology and extended condolences to the family members who lost their loved ones, vowing to provide all necessary support to the victims' families.
"Regardless of the cause, I take full responsibility as the CEO," Kim said.
(END)
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