A Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea crashed on arrival Sunday, hit a barrier and burst into flames, killing all but two people on board. is
Authorities cited a bird strike and bad weather as possible causes of the crash, which threw passengers out of the plane and “almost completely destroyed it,” according to fire officials.
Video shows the Jeju Air plane from Bangkok landing on its belly at Moan International Airport, skidding off the runway before billowing smoke from the engines, hitting a wall and bursting into flames.
“Passengers were ejected after the plane hit the wall, leaving little chance of survival,” according to a statement released by the fire brigade. A local fire official told the family in a briefing.
“The plane is almost completely destroyed, and identifying the dead is proving difficult. The process is taking time as we search for the remains,” he was quoted as saying.
Only two people were rescued, both flight attendants, and 177 people were confirmed dead as of mid-afternoon, the fire department said in a statement.
An AFP photographer saw the charred wreckage of the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 plane on the runway at Moan — about 288 kilometers southwest of Seoul — with firefighters and emergency vehicles working nearby.
‘May Day’
The crash occurred during the landing of Jeju Air Flight 2216 at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, the Land Ministry said, carrying 175 passengers, including two Thai nationals, and six crew members.
“It took about three minutes from the control tower warning of a bird strike to the aircraft attempting to land again on the runway,” it said.
He added that two minutes before the crash, the pilot issued a mayday call.
Asked if the crash was caused by the runway being too short — video shows the plane skidding off the tarmac and hitting a wall — the official said that was likely not a factor.
He said that the runway is 2,800 meters long and aircraft of the same size are operating on it without any problem.
“It is unlikely that the accident was caused by the length of the runway.”
Moan Fire Station Chief Lee Jeong-hyun said during a briefing that the cause “is believed to be a bird strike with favorable weather conditions.”
“However, the actual cause will be announced after a joint investigation,” Lee said.
Low-cost carrier Jeju Air apologized and vowed to help as much as possible.
“We sincerely apologize for causing concern,” the airline said in a statement posted on its social media channels.
Boeing said in a statement that it was in contact with Jeju Air and “stands ready to assist them”.
Serious accident
South Korea’s acting president Choi Sang-muk, who only took office on Friday, called an emergency meeting with cabinet members to discuss relief operations and response before leaving for Moan, his office said.
“I am sure words of comfort will not be enough for the grieving families who have been affected by this tragedy,” Choi said.
“The entire government is working together to manage the aftermath of the accident, devoting all available resources, making every effort to ensure full support to the bereaved families,” he added.
Reacting to the tragic incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of precious lives.
“Deeply saddened to learn of the tragic plane crash at Moan International Airport in Korea that resulted in the loss of many precious lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families and the government and people of the Republic in this hour of sorrow. of Korea”, said the Prime Minister in a post on X.
Additionally, President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed his condolences to the people and government of South Korea and sympathized with the bereaved families, read a press release issued by the President’s Secretariat.
Safety track record
It is the first fatal accident in the history of Jeju Air, one of South Korea’s largest low-cost carriers, which was founded in 2005.
On August 12, 2007, a Bombardier Q400 operated by Jeju Air carrying 74 passengers skidded off the runway at South Busan-Gimhae Airport due to strong winds, injuring a dozen people. .
Experts say South Korea’s aviation industry has a solid safety track record.
Last year, a passenger opened the emergency exit of an Asiana Airlines flight as it was preparing to land, the plane landed safely but several people were hospitalized.
A number of fatal aviation accidents worldwide have been caused by bird strikes, which can cause power outages if the animals are sucked into the air.
In 2009, an American Airways Airbus A320 famously landed in the Hudson River in New York after a bird struck both of its engines, an event widely referred to as the “Miracle on the Hudson” because there were no casualties. happened