South Korea was reeling on Monday from the tragic loss of 179 people in its deadliest plane crash to date. The Jeju Air Flight 2216, a Boeing 737-800, crash-landed and burst into flames upon arrival at Muan International Airport on Sunday.
The flight, carrying 181 passengers from Thailand to South Korea, met its devastating end approximately 288 kilometers southwest of Seoul. The aftermath left the aircraft almost completely destroyed, with two flight attendants miraculously surviving the disaster.
Officials have cited a bird strike as the likely cause of the crash, which caused the plane to skid off the runway, smoke to stream from the engines, and ultimately explode in flames after hitting a wall. Video footage captured the harrowing moments as the aircraft landed on its belly at Muan International Airport.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has taken the lead in the investigation, sending a team that includes experts from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to assist South Korean authorities in determining the precise causes of the crash. Both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been recovered.
Among the survivors, one flight attendant, a 33-year-old man, was able to communicate from the hospital, describing how he woke up after being rescued. He suffered multiple fractures, while the other survivor, a 25-year-old woman, sustained injuries to her ankle and head. Authorities are diligently working to complete the identification of all victims.
As South Korea mourns this immense loss, the global community watches closely, awaiting further details from the ongoing investigations.
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South Korea grieves after 179 die in its deadliest plane crash
cgtn.com
