SEOUL, Dec 29:
On Sunday, a passenger plane veered off the runway at a South Korean airport, crashed into a concrete barrier, and caught fire due to a malfunction in its front landing gear. This tragic incident resulted in the deaths of 179 out of the 181 individuals on board, marking one of South Korea’s most severe aviation tragedies.
The Jeju Air Boeing 737-800, which was 15 years old and had just arrived from Bangkok, crashed at approximately 9:03 a.m. in Muan, located 290 kilometers south of Seoul.
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According to South Korean fire officials, 179 individuals – comprised of 85 women, 84 men, and 10 unidentified persons – perished in the flames, while two crew members were rescued and are reported to be in stable condition. Out of the 177 recovered bodies, 88 have been identified. The majority of the passengers were South Koreans, with two of them confirmed to be Thai nationals, as indicated by Thailand’s Foreign Ministry.
A comprehensive response was mobilized, which included 32 fire trucks and several helicopters, alongside approximately 1,570 firefighters, police, and military personnel deployed by the fire agency.
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Coverage by local TV stations revealed footage of the aircraft rushing down the runway at high speed, seemingly without its landing gear deployed, before overshooting the runway and crashing into a concrete wall, igniting an explosion. Thick black smoke was seen rising from the plane, which was completely engulfed in flames.
Lee Jeong-hyeon, head of the Muan fire station, stated during a press briefing that the aircraft was entirely destroyed, with only the tail section remaining recognizable. Authorities are investigating multiple angles for the cause of the crash, including the possibility of a bird strike. Transport Ministry officials reported that the control tower had alerted the plane about a potential bird strike just before landing and had advised the pilot to land elsewhere. The pilot issued a distress signal shortly before the aircraft overshot the runway.
Senior official Joo Jong-wan mentioned that both the flight data and cockpit voice recorders have been recovered and will undergo analysis by government specialists, although the investigation may take several months. The runway is scheduled to remain closed until January 1, according to the ministry.
Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, extended her heartfelt condolences via social media to the victims’ families and directed the Foreign Ministry to offer immediate support. Kerati Kijmanawat, director of Airports of Thailand, confirmed the flight, Jeju Air 7C 2216, departed from Suvarnabhumi Airport without any reported issues.
Jeju Air expressed its sincere apologies regarding the disaster and committed to managing the aftermath responsibly. In a news conference, company president Kim E-bae, alongside senior officials, bowed in apology to the victims’ families and accepted “full responsibility” for the incident, despite noting that no mechanical issues were detected after routine maintenance.
Family members mourned as officials began to release the names of some of the victims at the airport’s lounge (PTI).
