Rescuers suspect 179 people died when a plane veered off a South Korean airport runway and caught fire on Sunday, local media reported on Sunday.
Two survivors, both of them crew members, were taken to hospital and remain conscious after the accident, according to Yonhap news agency, citing officials, after the plane veered off the runway while landing and collided with a fence at Muan International Airport.
Earlier, the country’s national fire agency said 84 women, 82 men and 11 others whose genders were not immediately identifiable died in the fire at the airport, according to PA news agency.
An emergency meeting was convened in the presidential office in Seoul, chaired by Chief of Staff Chung Jin Suk, to discuss the coordination of ministries to provide resources such as medical assistance.
South Korean television aired a video showing the aircraft skidding across the runway without its landing gear down, smashing at the end of the runway and bursting into flames.
Several eyewitnesses on the ground reported seeing fire coming from one of the turbines and heard several loud bangs, Yonhap said.
The plane was a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet that was returning from Bangkok and the crash happened at 9:03 am (0003 GMT), the Transport Ministry reported, PA said.
The pilots initially tried to land but aborted the attempt then tried a crash landing, the report said.
Pictures taken from a distance initially showed huge dark plumes of smoke above the scene. Later photos showed burning wreckage and charred debris from the aircraft.
“The aircraft has almost completely been destroyed, and it is difficult to identify the deceased,” a fire official said, according to Yonhap.
“We are in the process of recovering the remains, which will take time.”
The Jeju Air flight, with some 175 passengers and six crew members aboard, was returning from Bangkok.
Jeju Air chief executive Kim E-Bae said the airline extended its deepest condolences and apologies to those affected.
“Currently, the exact cause of the accident has yet to be determined, and we must wait for the official investigation by government agencies,” Kim said in a statement.
“Regardless of the cause, I take full responsibility as the chief executive.”
US aircraft producer Boeing contacted Jeju Air after the accident, according to media reports.
Authorities suspect a bird strike led to the accident, based on initial investigations.
Muan’s control tower issued a warning to the pilots of bird strikes before the accident, according to reports.
The pilots reportedly made an emergency call shortly afterwards.
Acting President Choi Sang Mok visited the accident site and ordered agencies to use all available equipment, personnel and infrastructure to “save even one more life,” Yonhap reported, citing his office.
“I believe no words of consolation will be enough for the families who have suffered such a tragedy,” Choi said.
“The government will spare no effort in supporting the bereaved families.”
Choi has been acting president since Friday, after lawmakers voted to impeach then-acting president Han Duck Soo, barely two weeks after Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from the presidency over his imposition of martial law.
South Korea’s Defence Ministry said about 180 personnel, firefighting vehicles and ambulances had been deployed to the airport.
All other flights to and from Muan have been cancelled.
Yonhap reported that two of the passengers were Thai nationals.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed her condolences on social media platform X.
She had asked her country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to investigate whether there were any Thai passengers on the plane and what the current situation was, according to the post.
Leaders worldwide sent condolences to South Korea, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Muan Airport, which opened in 2007 after 10 years of construction, is located in the south-western province of Jeolla – almost 300 kilometres from the capital Seoul.
