A plane crash in South Korea left 179 people dead, according to officials monitoring the deadly incident at the Muan International Airport Saturday night.
Footage of the crash showed the plane sliding across the runway uncontrollably before hitting a concrete fence and becoming engulfed in flames. The plane, Jeju Air flight 7C2216, was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members, and was flying from Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. Two of the passengers were Thai nationals.
Out of 181 total passengers, just two crew members were rescued after hours of search and rescue, and they were located in the tail section of the plane, according to the country’s National Fire Agency. The crash left the entirety of the main body of the aircraft unrecognizable.
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According to South Korean outlet Yonhap, local airport authorities attributed the crash to a landing gear malfunction after it failed a first landing attempt, leading to the attempted crash landing. Authorities pointed to the plane’s tires not being activated, and said a bird collision likely caused the malfunction.
Acting South Korean President Choi Sang-mok has told emergency responders to use “all available” resources to respond to the crash.
Jeju Air is a South Korean low-cost airline, and the plane in the crash was a Boeing 737-800 jet.
Families burst into tears as they heard an announcer at the airport carefully read the names of passengers who were confirmed dead, according to NBC News. Jeju Air’s website was replaced with a statement apologizing for the incident.
“We, Jeju Air, bow our heads in apology to all those who suffered damages due to the recent Muan Airport accident. First of all, we will do our best to resolve the accident. We apologize for any inconvenience caused,” the statement said.
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Muan International Airport is located in Muan, a city in the southern portion of the country. Seoul, the capital, is in the northern part of South Korea.
The South Korean government declared a period of national mourning until Jan. 4, acting President Choi Sang-mok said during a meeting in Seoul.
The crash comes at a particularly calamitous period for the South Korean government following President Yoon Suk Yeol being impeached and stripped of power two weeks ago after declaring martial law, which lasted just six hours.
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Yoon’s rationale for it was alleged pro-North Korean interests taking control of Parliament and other “anti-state” forces.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo briefly took over as acting president, before being impeached himself, leading to Choi, who is a finance minister, taking over the position.
