OAN Staff Abril Elfi
8:47 AM – Sunday, December 29, 2024
A plane slammed into a concrete barrier and bursted into flames in South Korea, killing 179 people.
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On Sunday, a Boeing 737-800 went down the runway with what officials believe was no working landing gear and slammed into a wall in an explosion that killed everyone but two crew members aboard the plane.
Officials stated that the pilot then sent out a distress signal just before the plane overshot the end of the runway and skidded across a buffer zone before hitting the wall.
Muan fire chief Lee Jung-hyun said in a briefing that the two confirmed survivors of the Jeju Air crash in South Korea were rescued from the plane’s tail section, the only part of the aircraft that retained some of its shape.
The director of the hospital has stated that one of the two survivors of is conscious and talking, despite suffering multiple fractures.
Both of the black boxes have been recovered including flight data and voice record.
According to fire officials, a bird strike might have caused the crash.
“The cause of this accident is estimated to be the occurrence of a bird strike or bad weather, and the exact cause will be announced later through a joint investigation with related agencies,” Lee said.
Fire officials have said they believe some sort of landing gear malfunction contributed to the crash and footage showed the aircraft sliding on its belly before bursting into flames.
Choi Sang-mok, South Korea’s acting president, travelled to Muan International Airport where the crash occurred and said the site had been declared a special disaster zone, vowing a full investigation into what caused the deadly crash.
“We will concentrate all resources on recovery and support for the victims. All necessary resources are being mobilized, and a special disaster zone has been declared,” Choi said in a statement.
All passengers were South Korean nationals, except for two Thai nationals, officials said.
Approximately 1,570 firefighters, police officers, soldiers and other rescue workers have been sent to the scene.
Boeing released a statement following the deadly crash, sending its condolences to the loved ones of the victims.
“We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding Flight 2216 and stand ready to support them,” Boeing said in a short statement posted to its X account.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew,” the company added.
Kim Yi-bae, the CEO of South Korea’s Jeju Air, said the aircraft that crashed at Muan International Airport had shown “no signs of issues” prior to Sunday’s accident.
“At this time, it is difficult to determine the cause of the accident, and we have to wait for the official announcement of the investigation by the relevant government agency,” Kim said.
He added that the aircraft involved in the disaster had no history of accidents.
All passengers were South Korean nationals, except for two Thai nationals, officials said.
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