A tragic incident unfolded at a South Korean airport on Sunday when a Jeju Air passenger plane skidded off the runway, crashed into a concrete fence, and burst into flames. The front landing gear of the 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet failed to deploy during landing, resulting in the devastating crash in the town of Muan, located 290 kilometers south of Seoul.
Out of the 181 individuals on board, only two crew members survived, with the remaining 179 passengers losing their lives in the fire. The majority of the passengers were South Korean nationals, along with two Thai citizens who also perished in the crash.
Emergency response teams, including firefighters, police officers, and soldiers, rushed to the scene to contain the blaze and assist in rescue efforts. The fire agency reported that the plane was completely destroyed, with only the tail assembly remaining recognizable amidst the wreckage.
Initial investigations suggest that the airport control tower issued a bird strike warning to the plane before landing, prompting the pilot to attempt a landing in a different area. However, the aircraft overshot the runway, skidded across a buffer zone, and collided with a concrete wall, leading to the tragic outcome.
The flight data and cockpit voice recorders have been retrieved for further analysis to determine the cause of the crash. The runway at Muan airport will remain closed until January 1st as investigations continue.
World leaders, including Pope Francis, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expressed their condolences and sympathies for the victims and their families as South Korea grapples with this aviation disaster.
The South Korean government has declared Muan a special disaster zone, initiated a weeklong national mourning period, and vowed to provide support to the families of the victims during this difficult time.
As the nation mourns the loss of lives in one of its worst aviation tragedies, authorities and aviation experts are working diligently to uncover the circumstances that led to the fatal crash.
