Fiery crash kills at least 179 in worst airline disaster in South Korea
Officials suspect a bird strike caused the crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216

Firefighters are seen around an aircraft which drove off runway at Muan International Airport in Muan
Reuters
At least 179 people were killed in South Korea's deadliest air accident on Sunday when a Jeju Air flight belly-landed and veered off the runway, erupting into flames as it collided with a wall at Muan International Airport.
Flight 7C2216, a Boeing 737-800 arriving from Bangkok with 175 passengers and six crew members on board, was attempting to land shortly after 9 a.m. local time (0000 GMT).
Authorities reported that two crew members survived, but the rest of the passengers are presumed dead.
A woman watches a TV screen broadcasting footage of an aircraft crash at Muan International Airport, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, December 29, 2024.Reuters
The crash, which is the worst in South Korea in nearly three decades, unfolded when the twin-engine jet, seen in local media video skidding down the runway with no visible landing gear, crashed into the wall.
The ensuing fireball engulfed much of the plane, leaving only a small section of the tail recognizable.
Jeju Air aircraft flight 7C2216 is engulfed in flames as crashes after landing at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea December 29, 2024 in this screengrab obtained from video. Reuters
Rescue workers managed to pull two crew members, a man and a woman, from the rear of the plane. Both were taken to nearby hospitals with medium to severe injuries.
Investigators are considering a bird strike and weather conditions as possible causes, with some reports suggesting a bird strike could have caused the landing gear to fail.
Firefighters carry out extinguishing operations on an aircraft which drove off runway at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, South Korea, December 29, 2024.Reuters
Investigation and speculation
The South Korean transport ministry confirmed that the control tower had issued a bird strike warning shortly before the flight declared a "mayday." Yonhap news agency reported that a passenger texted a relative to report a bird lodged in the plane's wing, and the final message from the passenger read: "Should I say my last words?"
Muan International Airport, one of South Korea’s smaller airports, has seen a significant rise in international flights since Jeju Air began regular services from there to Bangkok and other Asian cities on December 8. Despite its small size, the airport handled over 310,000 international passengers from January to November 2023, nearly a 20-fold increase from the previous year.
Rescue workers take part in a salvage operation at the site where an aircraft crashed after it went off the runway at Muan International Airport, in Muan, South Korea, December 29, 2024Reuters
'My last words'
As news of the crash spread, families of the victims gathered at the airport, crying and hugging as authorities began identifying the dead. At least 22 victims were identified by fingerprint, and mortuary vehicles lined up outside to take bodies to a temporary morgue.
The grief-stricken relatives pleaded for information, with some asking the media not to film them. The atmosphere at the airport was tense, with families struggling to comprehend the tragedy. "My older brother died, and I don’t know what’s going on," one family member said, while another urged, "We are the bereaved families, not monkeys in a zoo."
Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae and officials bow to apologise for their plane's incident at Muan International Airport as they hold a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, December 29, 2024.Reuters
A long-shadowed tragedy
This crash marks the deadliest airline accident on South Korean soil since 1997, when a Korean Air crash in Guam killed more than 200 people. The previous worst accident on domestic soil occurred in 2002 when an Air China flight crashed, killing 129 people.
Jeju Air, South Korea's third-largest airline, expressed its condolences. CEO Kim E-bae apologized for the incident, stating that there had been no signs of mechanical malfunction prior to the flight's departure from Bangkok. He vowed that the airline would cooperate fully with investigators and prioritize supporting the bereaved families.
International condolences
The two Thai nationals on board, a 22-year-old and a 45-year-old, were also among the victims. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra sent condolences, while the Thai foreign ministry coordinated with South Korean authorities to assist the affected families.
In the aftermath, all domestic and international flights at Muan Airport were canceled, and South Korea’s acting President, Choi Sang-mok, visited the crash site, vowing to use all available resources to manage the disaster response.
Boeing's response
Boeing, the manufacturer of the aircraft, expressed its sorrow in an official statement: “We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding flight 2216 and stand ready to support them. We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones.”
The investigation is still in its early stages, and authorities are working to piece together the events leading to the tragedy that shocked a nation and the world.
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