On the morning of December 29, at around 9:07 am, a Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people from Bangkok crashed while attempting to land at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, causing numerous victims. Initial findings suggest the crash may have been caused by a bird strike, which hampered the plane’s ability to land.
This was reported by a relative of one of the passengers, identified as “A”, who was waiting at the airport News1“I received a message from my family member on board about a problem with the plane, but I have not been able to contact him since.”
Passenger “B” texted “A” at 9:00 am, stating, “A bird is stuck in the wing and we can’t land.” When “A” asked for more details, “B” responded a minute later: “Right now. Do I need to leave one last message?” The communication was then lost.
The plane was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members.
Rescue efforts
Fire authorities declared a Level 3 emergency response at 9:16 a.m. and dispatched 80 rescue personnel and 32 units of equipment from several regional fire departments, including Honam and Yeongnam, to focus on search and rescue activities.
At 10.30am it was confirmed that 28 passengers had died, while most of the others suffered serious injuries. Authorities managed to rescue a male passenger in his 30s and a female crew member in her 20s, who were rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.
Temporary morgues have been set up on site and authorities have established a connection with major hospitals in Gwangju to handle the large number of victims.
Cause of the accident
Preliminary investigations reveal that the plane attempted to land with malfunctioning landing gear, probably due to a bird strike. The plane collided with the airport’s perimeter wall, causing a fire.
Firefighters began putting out the fire within 43 minutes of the initial report and are continuing to search the wreckage. The airport company has restricted access to the accident site.
