Team News Riveting
Maun, December 29
A devastating plane crash at Muan International Airport in South Korea on Sunday left 179 people dead, leaving only two survivors from the 181 people onboard.
Jeju Air flight 7C2216, a Boeing 737-800 overshot the runway, collided with the perimeter fence, and burst into flames. According to the officials, the two survivors are crew members, one male and one female. No additional survivors have been found among the passengers, and the condition of the wreckage suggests that hopes for more survivors are slim, they added.
The Korean Heralds reported that the aircraft’s fuselage was completely destroyed in the crash, making the identification of victims extremely difficult. Rescue teams are continuing their efforts to locate the remains of missing passengers, while temporary mortuaries have been set up to house the bodies recovered so far.
Authorities remain focused on recovery operations and the identification of victims as investigations into the cause of the tragedy continue. Around 720 officials, including personnel from the airport, fire fighters, police, military and coast guards are deployed to the scene.
The aircraft took off from Bangkok at 1.30 am and was scheduled to land in Muan at 8.30 am. During its first landing attempt on runway No. 1, the plane failed and performed a go-around, a flight maneuver where a pilot chooses to abort a landing and return to the air to fly round and try again.
On its second attempt, the landing gear malfunctioned, leading to an emergency belly landing near the runway’s end, according to authorities. A belly landing, also known as a gear-up landing, is an emergency landing where an aircraft lands on its underside, or belly, without its landing gear fully extended.
Unable to decelerate fully, the plane struck airport perimeter fences at speed, resulting in its destruction and instantly fire, according to the authorities.
Emergency personnel, including 80 firefighters, were immediately deployed to the site. The fire was first controlled within 43 minutes, and rescue efforts began from the rear of the aircraft. Two survivors have been rescued so far, but authorities fear more dead will be discovered as they continue to search the wreckage.
Initial investigations point to a “bird strike” as the likely cause of the landing gear malfunction. This occurs when an aircraft collides with a flock of birds or when birds enter the engine.
The passengers on the crashed plane included 173 South Koreans and two Thai nationals, according to authorities.
