OAN Staff Avril Elfie
8:47am – Sunday, December 29, 2024
A plane crashes into a concrete fence in South Korea and bursts into flames, killing 179 people.
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On Sunday, a Boeing 737-800 went off the runway with what authorities believe was a malfunctioning landing gear and crashed into a wall in an explosion, killing all but two people on board.
Officials said the pilot sent out a distress call just before the plane overshot the end of the runway, skidded through a buffer zone and hit a wall.
Muan City Fire Chief Lee Jeong-hyun said at a press conference that the two survivors of the Jeju Air crash in South Korea were rescued from the tail section, which was the only part of the plane that had part of its shape remaining. .
The hospital director said one of the two survivors was conscious and talking despite suffering multiple fractures.
Both black boxes were recovered, including flight data and audio recordings.
Fire officials said a bird strike may have caused the accident.
“The cause of this accident is presumed to be a bird strike or bad weather, and the exact cause will be announced in the future through a joint investigation with related agencies,” Lee said.
Fire officials believe some kind of landing gear failure caused the crash, and said footage showed the plane skidding on its belly before bursting into flames.
South Korean Acting President Choi Sang-mok visited Muan International Airport, the site of the crash, and said the area had been designated as a special disaster area and vowed to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the fatal accident.
“We will devote all our efforts to the recovery and support of the victims. All necessary resources have been mobilized and a special disaster area has been declared,” Choi said in a statement.
Officials said all passengers except two Thais were Korean nationals.
Approximately 1,570 firefighters, police officers, soldiers and other rescue workers were dispatched to the scene.
Boeing released a statement following the fatal crash, offering its condolences to the victims' loved ones.
In a short statement posted on its X account, Boeing said it was “in contact with Jeju Air regarding Flight 2216 and stands ready to assist.”
“Our hearts go out to the families who lost their loved ones. Our thoughts remain with all the passengers and crew,” the company added.
Kim Yi-be, CEO of South Korea's Jeju Air, said there were “no signs of problems” with the plane that crashed at Muan International Airport before Sunday's accident.
Kim said, “It is difficult to determine the cause of the accident at this point, and we must wait for the official announcement of the investigation results from the relevant ministries.''
He added that the aircraft involved in the accident had no history of accidents.
Officials said all passengers except two Thais were Korean nationals.
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