A Jeju Air passenger plane carrying 181 passengers and crew has burst into flames after it skidded off a runway at a South Korean airport and hit a concrete perimeter fence.
So far the death toll stands at least 167 people, but this is expected to rise. The country’s fire service has said that all but two of the people aboard the plane are presumed dead, which would make it South Korea’s worst aviation disaster.
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Here is everything we know so far:
What happened?
The Jeju Air flight from Bangkok crashed while attempting a landing at Muan International Airport in southwestern South Korea on Sunday morning. Footage showed the Boeing 737-800 “belly landing” without landing gear and sliding at high speed along the runway before hitting the wall.
Local TV stations aired footage showing thick plumes of black smoke billowing from the plane, which was engulfed in flames.
Witnesses reported hearing loud “bang” noises before the aircraft struck the wall.
What was the cause of the plane crash?
The exact cause of the crash is still under investigation. Local broadcaster MBC aired footage that appears to show a bird strike incident as the plane was descending. Officials have also said weather conditions may have played a role.
The crashed plane’s black box has been retrieved, according to a senior Transport Ministry official.
Joo Jong-wan said the flight data recorder had been taken from the black box but workers are still looking for the cockpit voice recording device.
Transport Ministry officials have said their early assessment of communications records show the airport control tower issued a bird strike warning to the plane shortly before it intended to land.
8.57am local time: Muan International Airport’s control tower issued a warning over possible bird strikes.
8.58am: The pilot sent a “Mayday” distress signal.
9am: The plane attempted to land on the runway but failed to deploy its landing gear.
9.03am: the aircraft crash-landed on its fuselage, collided with the airport fence, and erupted into flames.
Who survived?
The only two survivors so far are two of the six crew members.
Media reports indicate that they were near the rear emergency exit. It’s believed they escaped after the tail section detached during the crash.
They were pulled from the wreckage and taken to hospital.
Who else was on board?
Among the 175 passengers aboard the flight, 173 were Korean nationals and two were Thai nationals, officials have said.
What have Jeju Air and Boeing said?
In a televised news conference, Kim E-bae, Jeju Air’s president, bowed with other senior company officials as he apologised to bereaved families and said he takes “full responsibility” for the incident.
Mr Kim said the company hadn’t identified any mechanical problems with the aircraft following regular checkups and that he would wait for the results of government investigations into the cause of the incident.
A separate statement from the airline expressed a “deep apology” over the crash and said it will do its “utmost to manage the aftermath of the accident”.
Boeing said in a statement on X it was in contact with Jeju Air and is ready to support the company in dealing with the crash.“We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew,” Boeing said.
