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179 people killed in Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea

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Seconds after the plane crash in Muan, South Korea (Credit: MDC Korea)

A Jeju Air passenger plane with more than 180 people on board has crashed while trying to land at Muan International Airport in South Korea, killing nearly everyone on board, according to local officials. Only two survivors were found.

Jeju Air Flight 2216, a Boeing 737-800 flying from Bangkok, Thailand, crashed just after 9 a.m. on Sunday while trying to land without a landing gear. Footage of the crash shows the aircraft overshooting the end of the runway before crashing into a barrier.

The plane was carrying a total of 181 people, including 175 passengers and 6 crew members. A manifest released by local media identified all but two of the passengers as South Korean, including several children. The other two were citizens of Thailand.

According to the Jeonnam Fire Department, all 179 bodies were recovered by 9 p.m., making this the deadliest plane crash in South Korean history. Only two people – both crew members who were seated in the back of the plane – survived with non-life threatening injuries.

Dramatic footage showed the moment of the catastrophic crash.

The exact cause of Sunday’s air disaster was not immediately known, but South Korean officials said air traffic control warned the plane about a possible bird strike six minutes before the crash, which was followed by a mayday call from the crew just one minute later.

“I bow my head and offer my sincere apologies to everyone who has supported Jeju Air,” CEO Kim E-Bae said in a statement. “Above all, I express my deepest condolences and apologies to the passengers who lost their lives in the accident and to their bereaved families.”

Kim added: “At this point, it is difficult to determine the cause of the accident, and we must wait for an official investigation report from the relevant government agencies. Regardless of the cause of the accident, I take full responsibility as the CEO.”

He continued: “Jeju Air will do everything in our power to quickly manage the aftermath of the accident and support the families of the passengers. Additionally, we will work closely with the government to identify the cause of the accident.”

The same aircraft, which was manufactured in 2009, was also involved in another incident on Friday, when the crew declared an emergency and diverted to Seoul. Specific details about that incident were not immediately made public and it’s unknown if there’s any connection to Sunday’s crash.

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