At 2.30pm on December 29, the first-floor waiting room at Muan International Airport was filled with the anguished cries of the victims’ families as the names of the deceased were announced.
Lee Jin-cheol, head of the Busan Aviation Regional Office, held the first briefing for the families of passengers and victims. Lee said: “At 2pm the plane was littered. Among the 181 people on board (175 passengers and 6 crew members), 96 fatalities were confirmed. Two survivors were transported to hospital and the deceased were temporarily placed in a mortuary. Once their identity is confirmed, they will be transferred to the funeral home.“
Regarding the causes of the accident, he briefly added: “The accident investigation commission will determine the exact cause after collecting all the remains.“
After the five-minute briefing, families and relatives, shocked and desperate for answers, pleaded with Lee to announce the names of the five victims whose identities had been confirmed. Some protested, saying: “Just tell us if they’re alive or dead. We need to know so we can go to the hospital.”
When the rescue officers said the names and birth years of the deceased, screams and sobs erupted throughout the room. The families shout: “We came here to confirm whether they were alive or dead. Why are you only telling us this now?“
A police officer who accompanied the briefing explained: “Around 40 officers are working to confirm the identities. To prevent misinformation, we are cross-checking personal belongings and fingerprints. We ask for your understanding. For those whose remains are severely damaged and whose fingerprints cannot be identified, we will collect DNA samples for comparison with family members. This may cause further delays.”
Meanwhile, at around 9:03 am on December 29, a Jeju Air flight 7C2216 from Bangkok attempted to land at Muan International Airport but crashed, hitting nearby structures and breaking apart. The Boeing 737-800 plane, carrying 175 passengers (173 Koreans and two Thais) and six crew members, was engulfed in flames following the crash.
By 9.46am firefighters had extinguished the initial fire and rescued two injured crew members from the tail section of the aircraft. However, most of the passengers are presumed dead. Fire and aviation authorities are continuing rescue operations, checking victims and investigating the exact cause of the accident.
