Video | South Korea plane crash: Jeju Air PlaneCrashes in South Korea, Killing Dozens
December 29, 2024 14:07 South Korea
The fire department announced just before 1 p.m. on the 29th that 85 people have been confirmed dead in the accident in which a passenger plane failed to land and burst into flames at Muan Airport in southwestern South Korea.
Just after 9 a.m. on the 29th, a passenger plane operated by Jeju Air, a Korean low-cost carrier that had departed from Bangkok, Thailand and was heading to Muan Airport in southwestern South Korea, failed to land and burst into flames.
According to the South Korean government, there were 181 people on board the plane, including 175 passengers and six crew members, of which 173 were South Korean and two were Thai.
The fire department said that two people have been rescued so far, while 85 have been confirmed dead.
According to an official at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, so far there has been no information that any Japanese were on board the plane, and they will continue to investigate.
The fire department said that the plane's wheels appear to have not functioned properly, causing it to attempt a belly landing, and that the cause is believed to have been a bird strike. The
South Korean government will investigate the cause of the accident in detail, including by dispatching investigators from the Accident Investigation Committee to the site.
❗️✈️🇰🇷 - Death toll from plane crash in South Korea rises to 47, more than 130 people still missing.
— 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformant_x) December 29, 2024
The incident occurred when a Jeju Air flight, carrying 181 passengers and crew from Bangkok, veered off the runway upon landing, colliding with a barrier and bursting into… pic.twitter.com/A9eFiyTFpw
Reuters: Footage of the moment the plane burst into flames
Reuters has released footage of what appears to be the moment the plane crashed during a landing and burst into flames. The footage shows the plane skidding along the runway, smoking, then skidding off the runway, crashing into a structure and bursting into flames.
"Migratory birds active around Muan Airport" - South Korean aviation authorities
According to South Korean aviation authorities, there are beaches and wetlands around Mueang Airport where migratory birds and other birds can easily build nests, and mallards are particularly prevalent around the airport from October to March. Mallards
are active in the mornings and evenings and fly at high altitudes, so Mueang Airport is working to prevent bird strikes by repeatedly playing sounds that birds dislike, such as gunfire, and by using live ammunition to exterminate them.
Jeju Air posts apology on its website
Following the accident, Jeju Air posted an apology on its website, stating, "We would like to apologize to all those affected by the accident at Mueang Airport. First of all, we will make every effort to resolve the situation. We apologize for causing concern."
❗️✈️🇰🇷 - Death toll from plane crash in South Korea rises to 47, more than 130 people still missing.
— 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformant_x) December 29, 2024
The incident occurred when a Jeju Air flight, carrying 181 passengers and crew from Bangkok, veered off the runway upon landing, colliding with a barrier and bursting into… pic.twitter.com/A9eFiyTFpw
Korean LCC Jeju Air operates 62 domestic and international routes
Jeju Air is a Korean LCC (low-cost carrier) established in 2005, and according to the company's website, it operates 62 domestic and international routes, with its main bases at Gimpo Airport and Incheon Airport near Seoul, and Jeju Airport on Jeju Island. It also has
direct flights connecting Korea with various parts of Japan, such as Narita Airport, Kansai Airport, and Chubu Airport, and has been operating charter flights between Nagasaki and Muang Airport since December 10th.