Scores of individuals have been killed on Sunday when a passenger jet crash-landed at an airport in southwestern South Korea, with the plane careening down the runway on its stomach earlier than bursting into flames.
At the least 122 folks have been confirmed lifeless up to now, based on the native fireplace division. Two folks, each crew members, have been pulled alive from the crash web site nonetheless rescuers have warned there may be little hope of discovering additional survivors.
Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 from Bangkok was carrying 175 passengers and 6 crew when catastrophe struck on the airport in Muan county, simply after 9 a.m. native time Sunday (7 p.m. ET Saturday). The accident was brought on by a touchdown gear malfunction, officers stated.
Footage of Sunday’s crash broadcast by a number of South Korean information shops confirmed the aircraft sliding on its stomach at excessive pace, hitting an earthen embankment and erupting in a fireball.
Neither the again nor entrance touchdown gear was seen within the footage – broadcast by networks together with YTN, JTBC and MBC – as smoke poured from the again of the sliding plane.
Firefighters have been later seen utilizing water cannons to extinguish the blazing wreckage of the plane, which was listed as a Boeing 737-800 on flight-tracking web site FlightAware. A number of components of the plane have been additionally seen strewn throughout the runway.
The victims embrace 54 males, 57 females, and 11 folks whose gender couldn’t be decided, based on the South Jeolla Fireplace Service. Each of the survivors have been crew members, one male and one feminine, based on the rescue crew.
Two Thai nationals have been amongst these on board, based on the South Korean Land Ministry, which stated officers from the nationwide Incident Investigation Committee had arrived to look into what brought about the accident.
Rescue employees will seek for the “black field” flight knowledge recorders after recovering the our bodies of the remaining victims, the Transport Ministry stated in a briefing. The recorders provide aviation security investigators important info when piecing collectively what occurred after an incident.
Greater than 700 personnel from the police, army, and coast guard have been mobilized for on-site response efforts, the ministry added.
South Korea’s performing president stated the location of Sunday’s aircraft crash has been declared a particular catastrophe zone as he vowed a full investigation into what brought about the lethal catastrophe.
“We are going to focus all assets on restoration and help for the victims. All obligatory assets are being mobilized, and a particular catastrophe zone has been declared,” Choi Sang-mok stated in a press release.
Firefighters and rescue crew members work on the runway of Muan Worldwide Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (Lee Younger-ju/Newsis through AP) – Lee Younger-ju/Newsis/AP
Choi, who travelled to the crash web site on Sunday, prolonged his “heartfelt condolences to the bereaved households” and pledged to make each effort to handle the aftermath of the incident and stop comparable accidents in future.
The tragedy comes solely two days into Choi’s performing presidency, the newest chapter in a time of political chaos in South Korea.
The nation’s present president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was stripped of his powers by parliament two weeks in the past following a short-lived martial regulation order that plunged the country into political disarray. He’s presently suspended whereas a high court docket decides his destiny.
Han Duck-soo, the person who stepped in to switch Yoon as performing president, was impeached by parliament on Friday, which means Choi – the finance minister and deputy prime minister – stepped in for him.
Boeing prolonged its condolences to those that misplaced family members within the crash.
“We’re involved with Jeju Air relating to Flight 2216 and stand able to help them,” Boeing stated in a brief assertion posted to its X account.
“We lengthen our deepest condolences to the households who misplaced family members and our ideas stay with the passengers and crew,” the corporate added.
Rescue employees participate in a salvage operation on the web site the place an plane crashed after it went off the runway at Muan Worldwide Airport, in Muan, South Korea, on December 29, 2024. – Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
The US aviation large has had a turbulent time lately, together with two 737 Max crashes, a tragedy for which the corporate agreed to plead responsible to deceiving the Federal Aviation Administration throughout the certification course of for the aircraft.
Nonetheless, analysts have described the Boeing 737-800 as a dependable workhorse of the skies with an extremely strong safety record.
Jeju Air’s chief government stated the plane had proven “no indicators of points” previous to Sunday’s accident.
“At the moment, it’s troublesome to find out the reason for the accident, and we’ve got to attend for the official announcement of the investigation by the related authorities company,” Kim Yi-bae stated throughout a press briefing on the airport.
Sunday’s crash is “very perplexing” on condition that each the plane and provider have a robust security report and flying circumstances have been glorious, an aviation journalist stated.
The Boeing 737-800 is likely one of the most generally used plane on the planet and every one is used for about 4 or 5 flights per day, Geoffrey Thomas, editor of Airline Information, instructed CNN’s Paula Newton.
“It’s the most dependable plane on the planet, and it’s been in service for 20 years,” he stated. “All people is aware of the way it works. And it really works actually, very well. And the upkeep finished in [South] Korea is nearly as good because it will get world wide.”
South Korean fireplace officers have stated there might have been a touchdown gear malfunction and photographs confirmed the plane sliding on its stomach.
“It’s slightly bit unclear whether or not or not the undercarriage collapsed on touchdown or whether or not the undercarriage was not deployed in any respect. It is a actually severe difficulty that clearly investigators might be very a lot centered on,” Thomas stated.
He added “it’s perplexing” that the crash occurred, given it was touchdown beneath dry and sunny circumstances at a superb airport.
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