(7th LD) At least 122 dead, 2 rescued in Jeju Air plane crash in Muan

▲ This photo, provided by a Yonhap reader, shows the plane crash site at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, on Dec. 29, 2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ Firefighting authorities carry out rescue operations at the plane crash site at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, in this photo provided by a Yonhap reader on Dec. 29, 2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ A passenger rescued from the plane crash at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, is transported to a hospital in Mokpo, a city in the same province, on Dec. 29, 2024. (Yonhap)

▲ Flames rise from the wreckage of the Jeju Air passenger plane that crashed at the Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, about 288 kilometers southwest of Seoul, on Dec. 29, 2024, in this photo provided by a Yonhap reader. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(7th LD) plane-crash

(7th LD) At least 122 dead, 2 rescued in Jeju Air plane crash in Muan

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES death toll in 3rd para; ADDS other details)

By Kim Seung-yeon

MUAN, South Korea, Dec. 29 (Yonhap) -- At least 122 people have died and two were rescued after a Jeju Air passenger jet carrying 181 people erupted in flames as it went off the runway and hit a wall at an airport in South Korea's southwestern county of Muan on Sunday, authorities said. All but the two are presumed to have been killed.

The accident happened at 9:07 a.m., when the Jeju Air flight veered off the runway while landing and collided with a fence wall at Muan International Airport in the Muan county, South Jeolla Province, about 288 kilometers southwest of Seoul.

Except for the two rescued from the accident, everyone aboard is presumed to have been killed, firefighting authorities said, adding that they were switching to search operations to recover bodies.

The authorities had confirmed 122 deaths from the accident as of 2:47 p.m.

"After the plane collided with the wall, passengers were thrown out of the aircraft. The chances of survival are extremely low," a firefighting agency official said.

"The aircraft has almost completely been destroyed, and it is difficult to identify the deceased," the official said. "We are in the process of recovering the remains, which will take time."

Only the two crew members survived the accident as they were rescued shortly after the crash. They were being treated at separate hospitals in Mokpo and their injuries were not life-threatening.

A total of 181, including six crew members, were aboard the Boeing 737-800 plane that had departed from Bangkok at 1:30 a.m. It was scheduled to arrive in Muan at around 8:30 a.m.

Most of the passengers were Koreans, except for two Thai nationals.

A temporary morgue has been set up inside the Muan airport to lay the bodies of the victims.

Videos aired by local TV stations show the plane attempting to land without its landing gear deployed. The plane skidded along the ground, crashing into a concrete wall before exploding and being engulfed in flames.

Officials believe the landing gear failure, possibly due to a bird strike, may have caused the accident. They began an on-site investigation to determine the exact cause.

The South Jeolla authorities raised emergency alerts to the highest levels and deployed all available rescue and police personnel to the accident site.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok declared the Muan county as a special disaster zone as he visited the crash site to instruct officials to make all-out efforts for search operations.

Choi also expressed deep condolences to the bereaved family members and promised to offer them all possible government assistance.

The presidential office convened an emergency meeting of top secretaries earlier in the day to discuss government responses to the accident.

Presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk presided over the meeting and the office reported the details of the meeting's outcome to the acting president, it said.

Acting National Police Agency Commissioner-General Lee Ho-young also ordered officials to mobilize all available resources and work with firefighting and other related agencies to help with the rescue efforts.

Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae issued an apology and extended condolences to the family members who lost their loved ones, vowing to provide all necessary support to the victims' families.

"Regardless of the cause, I take full responsibility as the CEO," Kim said.

(END)

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