A tragic plane crash Sunday morning at Muan International Airport has claimed at least 177 lives as of 7 pm, with authorities warning the death toll could rise to 179 in what is South Korea's worst domestic aviation disaster to date.

Jeju Air flight 7C 2216, a Boeing 737-800 carrying 181 passengers and crew, was attempting to land when it veered off the runway. Five minutes after the pilot signalled mayday, the plane collided with the perimeter fence and burst into flames, according to the Transport Ministry.

According to the Jeonnam Fire Services Headquarters on Sunday, it was unlikely that search efforts would yield any more survivors besides the two people already rescued, who were reported to be crew members, one male and one female.

Among the 177 bodies recovered, 57 people had been identified. The crashed flight carried passengers of various age groups, including families travelling abroad for year-end holidays, authorities said.

The ill-fated flight had a total of 175 passengers and six crew members. Among the passengers, there were 82 males and 93 females.

The youngest passenger was a 3-year-old boy, while the oldest was a 78-year-old man. Two of the passengers were Thai nationals, identified as women in their 20s and 40s.

The largest age group onboard was individuals in their 50s, with 40 passengers in that group, followed by 39 people in their 60s, 32 in their 40s, 24 in their 70s, 16 in their 30s, 10 in their 20s, nine teenagers, and five children under 10, authorities reported.

The authorities pledged to recover the remaining three bodies and said they will coordinate with bereaved families to facilitate funeral arrangements in accordance with their preferences.

Quarrels between authorities and the bereaved families occurred as the bereaved sought to personally identify the bodies. Police maintained that names would only be revealed after confirming identities through fingerprint analysis, leading to disputes at Muan International Airport.

No additional survivors had been found among the passengers, and the condition of the wreckage suggested that hopes for more survivors were slim, fire authorities said in a briefing to the families of those on board.

The airport was filled with bereaved families, overwhelmed by the loss of their loved ones, as they waited in desperate grief.

"I've only seen major incidents like the 'Sewol Ferry' and 'Itaewon' disasters in the news, but now that someone close to me is experiencing something like this, it's an overwhelming situation. I don't think I can fully understand the grief of the families," said a woman accompanying her friend, a family member of one of the victims.

The aircraft's fuselage was completely destroyed in the crash, making the identification of victims extremely difficult. Rescue teams were continuing their efforts to locate the remains of missing passengers, while temporary mortuaries had been set up to house the bodies recovered.

The Transport Ministry said the runway at Muan International Airport will be closed until Jan. 1, 2025, less than a month since Jeju Air resumed regular international flights from the airport that had been suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. Flight 7C 2216, the airliner that crashed, travelled between Bangkok and Muan four times a week.

How the crash occurred

The aircraft departed from Bangkok at 1:30 am and was scheduled to land in Muan at 8:30 am However, the control tower at Muan International Airport issued a bird strike warning to the Jeju Air flight moments before the crash, the Transport Ministry confirmed in a third briefing on Sunday.

During its first landing attempt on runway No. 1 at roughly 8:54 am, the plane failed to land and performed a go-around, a manoeuver in which a pilot aborts a landing and returns to the air to try again.

According to the ministry, the airport's control tower alerted the flight crew about potential bird strike risks at 8:57 am Just one minute later, at 8:58 am, the pilot of the ill-fated aircraft issued a mayday distress signal.

The plane attempted an emergency landing on runway No. 19 at approximately 9 am but crashed three minutes later, at 9:03 am, while attempting a belly landing without functional landing gear. A belly landing, also known as a gear-up landing, is an emergency manoeuver in which an aircraft lands on its underside, or belly, without its landing gear fully extended.

Unable to decelerate fully, the plane struck airport perimeter fences at speed, resulting in its destruction and an instant fire, according to the authorities. The pilot of the crashed plane was reported to have been working for Jeju Air since March 2019 and had over 6,820 hours of flight time. The co-pilot was reported to have flown over 1,650 hours and took the position in February 2023.

Over 1,560 emergency personnel, including 490 firefighters, 450 police officials and 340 military personnel, were deployed to the site. The fire was controlled within 43 minutes, and rescue efforts began from the rear of the aircraft. Two survivors were rescued, but authorities feared that more dead would be discovered as they continued to search the wreckage.

Initial investigations pointed to a bird strike as the likely cause of the landing gear malfunction.

Jeju Air Co. President Kim E-bae expressed his sympathy and apologised to the passengers who lost their lives and their bereaved families in the aftermath of the tragic crash, pledging full cooperation with the government to uncover the cause of the accident.

Taking responsibility as the airline’s top executive, Kim added, “Regardless of the cause, I deeply feel my responsibility as CEO. Jeju Air will do everything in its power to expedite recovery efforts and provide full support to the families of the victims.”

Kim stated that the cause of the crash remains unclear and emphasised that the airline is awaiting official investigation results from government authorities. “At this point, it is difficult to determine the cause of the accident, and we must wait for the official findings from the relevant government agencies,” he said.

A Jeju Air representative also noted that the crashed aircraft, a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800, had no prior history of accidents. The airline was working to identify the precise cause of the crash and clarify the circumstances surrounding it, the representative said.

Special disaster zone

Meanwhile, Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, designated Muan as a special disaster zone.

Choi emphasised the gravity of the situation, noting the extensive loss of life and the urgent need for a coordinated response. “The government has activated the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and will deploy all necessary resources. We will officially declare Muan as a special disaster zone to ensure effective relief and recovery efforts,” he stated.

The designation of a special disaster zone, as outlined under the Framework Act on Disaster and Safety Management, allows for enhanced administrative, financial and medical support in affected regions. This includes emergency relief, disaster recovery plans, and financial aid for victims and their families.

Under this designation, joint investigation teams comprising disaster management agencies will conduct assessments and draft a recovery plan tailored to the severity of the disaster. These measures aim to expedite both immediate relief and long-term rehabilitation for affected individuals and communities.

Authorities remained focused on recovery operations and the identification of victims as investigations into the cause of the tragedy continue. Some 720 officials, including personnel from the airport, firefighters, police, military and Coast Guard personnel were deployed to the scene.

Hotlines have been set up for family members to make inquiries about those believed to have been on board: 080-898-1500 (in Korea), +82-1599-8629 (from overseas) and 1-833-892-0197 (from North America).

(In association with Asia News Network)