Out of the 181 passengers and crew aboard the Jeju Air flight, all are presumed dead, except for the two survivors, the South Jeolla Fire Service said on Sunday.
The Jeju Air aircraft that was bound to fly from Bangkok, Thailand to Muan City in South Korea crashed during an emergency landing at the Muan International Airport on Sunday morning, South Korean media outlets reported. Authorities believe that 173 people onboard the plane were South Koreans, while two were Thais.
According to rescue teams, more bodies remain inside the fuselage as their search continues. So far, only two survivors have been rescued, while 85 people—46 women and 39 men—were confirmed dead. As of writing, the two survivors have been rescued from the tail of the plane and were reported to have mid-to-severe level injuries, REUTERS reported.
Although the fire that engulfed the Boeing 737-800 jet has been extinguished, Yonhap news agency mentioned that hopes are fading for survivors.
According to authorities, the jet attempted a belly landing early Sunday after its landing gear reportedly failed to deploy.
Jeju Air, one of South Korea’s low-cost carriers, included a brief statement on its website about the recent aviation disaster.
“We, Jeju Air, bow our heads in apology to all those who suffered damages due to the recent Muan Airport accident,” its statement read.
“We will do our best to resolve the accident. We apologize for any inconvenience caused,” it added.
Following the crash-landing incident, all flights to South Korea’s Muan Airport were immediately canceled, the Korea Airports Corporation said. The nation’s acting President, Choi Sang-mok also instructed emergency responders to mobilize “all available” equipment and personnel to respond to the plane crash.
According to Yonhap news agency, airport authorities suspect that the landing gear may have malfunctioned because of the bird strike. It is among several theories that the transport ministry's aviation department is looking into.
South Korea’s aviation industry is known to have a solid track record for safety. If the death toll rises, this would mark the first fatal accident in the airline’s history.
This is a developing story.
