Summary:
- A Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crashed at Muan International Airport in South Korea, resulting in 85 fatalities among 181 passengers and crew members during a landing attempt from Bangkok.
- The aircraft landed without wheels, skidded off the runway, and erupted into flames upon impact, with only two crew members being rescued alive from the tail section.
- Initial investigations suggest a possible bird strike caused landing gear malfunction, leading to South Korea’s deadliest aviation disaster since 1997.
- All flights at Muan airport have been suspended while recovery operations continue, with victims including 175 South Korean and 2 Thai nationals.
A devastating aviation disaster unfolded at Muan International Airport in South Korea on Sunday morning when Jeju Air flight 7C2216 crashed during landing, resulting in at least 85 fatalities. The Boeing 737-800 aircraft, carrying 175 passengers and six crew members from Bangkok, veered off the runway and erupted into flames around 9 a.m. local time.
The National Fire Agency confirmed that among the deceased were 46 women and 39 men. In a remarkable development, two crew members – a man and a woman – were rescued alive from the tail section of the aircraft and are currently receiving treatment for moderate to severe injuries.
Fire Chief Lee Jung-hyun described the catastrophic scene: “Only the tail part retains a little bit of shape, and the rest of the plane looks almost impossible to recognize.” The fire, which engulfed the aircraft, was successfully extinguished by 1 p.m.
Dramatic footage captured by local media showed the twin-engine aircraft skidding down the runway without visible landing gear before colliding with a wall, resulting in a massive explosion. The crash marks the deadliest aviation incident involving a South Korean airline since the 1997 Korean Air disaster in Guam.
Initial investigations suggest that a bird strike may have caused a critical malfunction in the landing gear. One passenger’s final text message to a relative, reported by News1 agency, mentioned “a bird stuck in the wing” followed by the haunting words, “Should I say my last words?”
The passenger manifest included two Thai nationals, with the remaining passengers believed to be South Korean citizens. Acting President Choi Sang-mok has mobilized comprehensive rescue efforts, directing all available resources to the crash site.
Jeju Air, South Korea’s low-cost carrier operating an all-Boeing fleet, has issued an apology for the incident. Boeing has expressed condolences and offered support for the investigation. The aircraft involved was manufactured in 2009.
The airport has suspended all domestic and international flights as recovery operations continue. Fire officials are expanding their search to surrounding areas, acknowledging that the impact’s force may have scattered victims beyond the immediate crash site.
This incident represents the most severe aviation disaster in South Korea in nearly three decades, prompting messages of condolence from international leaders, including Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who has pledged assistance through diplomatic channels.
Source: Reuters
