South Korean police on Thursday morning raided Muan International Airport, where a Jeju Air plane crashed on Sunday, the local Yonhap news agency reported.
In a statement carried by the AFP news agency, police said: “Search and seizure operations are being conducted at three locations from 9am on January 2, in connection with the plane crash that occurred on December 29.”
Locations including Muan Airport, Jeju Air Office in Seoul and a regional aviation office.
A Jeju Air spokesperson said the company is assessing the situation.
Inspection of Boeing plans continues
Earlier on Thursday, South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok said at a disaster management meeting that the conversion of data from the Jeju Air 7C2216 cockpit voice recorder to audio files would be completed by Friday.
After the plane’s landing gear failed to open, the plane landed on its belly at Mu’an International Airport and then crashed into a mound of soil and concrete and burst into flames.
“Since there is great public concern about the same aircraft model involved in the accident, the Ministry of Transportation and related organizations should conduct a thorough inspection of operational maintenance, education and training,” Choi said.
His comments, which came at the beginning of the meeting, were delivered to the media by the office of the acting president.
The aircraft’s flight data recorder, which sustained some damage, has been transported to the United States for analysis in collaboration with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The NTSB, the US Federation Aviation Administration and the plane’s manufacturer, Boeing, have all sent investigators to South Korea to help investigate the worst air disaster in the country.
Choi said no effort will be spared to help the families of the victims as the remains of those killed have been handed over to them.
More to follow
km/jsi (AFP, Reuters)
