179 Feared Dead as Plane Crashes on South Korea Runway

A tragic plane crash at South Korea's Muan Airport has left 179 of the 181 people on board feared dead. The Jeju Air flight 2216, returning from Thailand, veered off the runway while landing in South Jeolla province, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Details of the Incident

The aircraft, a Boeing 737-8AS, carried 175 passengers and six crew members. Emergency services rushed to the scene after the plane crashed into a fence during a failed belly landing attempt around 9 am, subsequently erupting into flames. Authorities managed to rescue two individuals from the rear section of the plane while efforts continued to identify and recover the other victims.

Visuals from the site showed thick black smoke billowing above the crash area, underscoring the severity of the disaster.

Cause of the Crash

Initial investigations suggest the crash was caused by a combination of bird strikes that damaged the landing gear and adverse weather conditions.

Official Responses

Acting President Choi Sang-mok called for all possible resources to be deployed to save lives, urging agencies to prioritize rescue and recovery operations.

Jeju Air issued a public apology, stating, "We sincerely apologise for causing concern and will do everything in our power to respond to this accident." This marks the first fatal accident in the history of Jeju Air, a low-cost carrier established in 2005.

Background on the Aircraft

The ill-fated aircraft was acquired in 2017 from RyanAir, a European low-cost carrier. Jeju Air had previously experienced a non-fatal incident in 2007 when a Bombardier Q400 veered off the runway at Busan-Gimhae airport due to strong winds, resulting in injuries to 12 passengers.

Second Plane Crash in a Week

This tragedy follows another plane crash earlier in the week, where an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed in Kazakhstan, claiming 38 lives.

Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J2-8243 went down near Aktau, Kazakhstan, after failing to land at its intended destination in southern Russia, which was under attack by Ukrainian drones. The Kremlin later confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for the "tragic incident."

Both incidents have left the global aviation community reeling as investigations are underway to determine the causes and prevent such tragedies in the future.