179 people killed in Jeju Air plane crash – DW – 12/29/2024

South Korean officials said 179 people were killed in the Jeju Air plane crash at Muan International Airport.

Of the 181 people on board the plane at the time of the crash, only two survived, both crew members.

South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok has declared a seven-day national mourning until January 4 due to the plane crash at Muan International Airport.

This comes after an emergency meeting due to the accident.

At least 177 people were killed in the deadliest air crash on South Korean soil.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed condolences after a South Korea plane crash killed at least 167 people.

“We received terrible news about the accident,” Scholz posted on the social media network X.

“Our condolences go out to the families of those killed and we wish the injured a speedy recovery.”

The death toll as a result of the Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea has risen to 167, the country’s national fire agency said.

Of the plane’s 181 passengers, only two crew members have been rescued alive so far, with the fire brigade saying there is “very little chance of survival” for those on board.

South Korean authorities are investigating whether bird strike and adverse weather conditions were the cause of the Jeju Air plane crash that killed at least 120 passengers on board the plane at Muan International Airport.

Fire officials said the Boeing 737-800 aircraft was “almost completely destroyed” in the crash, with only two crew members of the 181 people on board at the time of the crash surviving.

Established in 2005, Jeju Air is South Korea’s largest low-cost airline.

Its hub is in Jeju city, which is the country’s second largest international airport after Seoul-Incheon. Jeju city is located on Jeju Island, an extremely popular destination for South Korean vacationers.

The airline has a 40 aircraft strong fleet, all of its aircraft are Boeing 737, a model used extensively by low-cost airlines around the world.

The Muan Airport crash was the first fatal accident in Jeju Air’s history.

The death toll as a result of the Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea has risen to 120, South Korean fire officials said.

The accident is one of the deadliest disasters in the country’s aviation history.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Patongtaran Shinawatra expressed his deep condolences to the families of those affected by the Jeju Air plane crash through a post on social platform X.

Patongtarn said he had ordered the Foreign Ministry to provide immediate assistance, as well as investigate whether any Thai citizens were on board the plane. The plane started its journey in the Thai capital Bangkok.

Jeju Jet CEO Kim E-bae has publicly apologized for the airline’s plane crash that killed at least 96 people.

In a brief media briefing, Kim said supporting the bereaved was the airline’s top priority, adding that the plane that crashed had no previous record of accidents.

According to a South Korean fire department official, there was little chance that the remaining passengers of the crashed Jeju Air flight could survive.

“Passengers were ejected from the aircraft after hitting the barrier, with little chance of survival,” the local fire department said in a statement.

At least 96 of the plane’s 181 passengers have already been confirmed dead, while two people – both crew members – have so far been evacuated alive.

fmt/wd (Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa)