Only two survive after South Korean plane carrying 181 crashes, bursts into flames

All but two crew members aboard a Boeing 737-800 aircraft that crashed into a wall on the runway of Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, were killed, the Yonhap news agency reported on Sunday.

The incident occurred at 09:07 a.m. local time.

The Jeju Air flight from Bangkok was carrying 181 people, including six crew members, the Yonhap report said. Two crew members, a man and a woman, were rescued from the plane and are being treated at a hospital in Mokpo, according to the South Jeolla Fire Department.

All remaining 179 passengers and crew have been confirmed dead. This makes it the deadliest air accident on South Korean soil and was also the worst involving a South Korean airline in nearly three decades, according to the transport ministry.

Most of the passengers were Koreans, except for two Thai nationals.

Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport confirmed that Muan International Airport issued a ‘bird strike’ warning just before the plane attempted to land. One minute later, the plane put out a 'mayday' distress signal and crashed five minutes later.

The aircraft did not lower its landing gear during the incident, the ministry confirmed.

The plane flew straight for about ten seconds, with the bottom of the fuselage touching the runway without lowering the landing gear. It was, therefore, unable to slow down, and its fuselage was dragged along the ground.

According to the South Jeolla Fire Department, the passengers were thrown out of the aircraft following the collision, meaning the "chances of survival are almost none."

"The fuselage is almost destroyed, and the identities of the deceased are difficult to confirm," the department added. "We are currently confirming the locations of the remains and recovering them, so it is taking some time."

Survivor responses 

Yonhap has named the two survivors as Lee Mo (33) and Ms. Ku (20s), both members of the flight crew. Ku's first name has not yet been publicized. Neither are in serious condition.

Lee, who was responsible for passenger service at the back of the plane, has been transferred to a hospital in Seoul. He said he was wearing a seat belt prior to arrival and that the plane appeared to have landed, but he had no recollection of anything after that.

Lee suffered a fractured left shoulder and injuries to his head but is conscious and can walk.

Smoke came out of one of the plane's engines, and then it exploded," Ku said.

Both crew members were in the rear emergency exit area when the crash occurred. According to Yonhap, both reportedly survived when the tail section of the plane broke off during the collision.

Screenshots on X/Twitter show the last messages from one of the passengers moments before the crash, saying, “We can’t land because a bird is stuck in the wing.”  

Emergency response

Acting President Choi Sang-mok convened an emergency meeting regarding the accident.

Choi reportedly gave orders to "make every effort to rescue personnel and to pay special attention to prevent safety accidents involving firefighters during the rescue process."

Local media reported that Choi gave these instructions to the Acting Minister of the Interior and Safety, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, the Commissioner General of the National Fire Agency, the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, and other relevant bodies.

BREAKING: Video shows crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216 in South Korea. 181 people on board pic.twitter.com/9rQUC0Yxt8

— BNO News (@BNONews) December 29, 2024

Response from authorities

South Korea's transport ministry has announced that an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash.

In a statement, Jeju Air said it would spare no efforts in its response to the incident.

"We are currently working to determine the exact cause and details of the situation," a company official said, according to Yonhap. "The aircraft has been in operation for 15 years with no history of accidents."

In a short media briefing, Jeju Air CEO Kim E-Bae said that supporting the bereaved was a top priority for now. It is the first major accident in the airlines 19 years of operation.

However, the same plane sent an emergency signal (7700) during a flight from Jeju to Beijing two days ago, and was diverted to Seoul. 

Shortly after the crash, Yonhap announced that all flights had been canceled at the airport where the crash took place.

A temporary mortuary has been set up at Muan International Airport for victims of the passenger plane crash.

In the hours after the event, Acting President Choi Sang-Mok arrived at the scene of the crash to say that all resources would be put to use to investigate what happened, Reuters reported.

Reuters contributed tot his report.

This is a developing story.