A Boeing 737-8AS with 181 people on board, including six crew members and 175 passengers, literally crashed into a wall after skidding off the runway at Muan International Airport, South Korea. The tragedy occurred this morning, at 9:07 local time, and the death toll, still being updated, is dramatic: only two people, a flight attendant and a passenger, were found alive.
Dynamics of the accident and first details
The plane, operated by low-cost airline Jeju Air, was returning from Bangkok, Thailand, when a landing gear failure turned the landing into a catastrophe. According to what was declared by the emergency office, the landing gear did not descend properly, causing a loss of control of the aircraft, which slipped off the runway, hitting a fence and catching fire. The images show the dramatic moment in which the plane attempts to land without landing gear, slips and finally hits a wall, engulfing itself in flames.
Among the first hypotheses on the causes of the accident are a technical failure or a collision with a flock of birds, aggravated by unfavorable weather conditions. “The exact cause will be determined by a joint investigation,” fire chief Lee Jeong-hyun said at a news conference.
Ongoing relief efforts and recovery difficulties
32 fire engines and dozens of firefighters are active at the site of the accident, but recovery operations are proving to be extremely complex. The plane is “almost completely destroyed”, as reported by the Muan Fire Department, and many victims were thrown from the fuselage. “Identification of deceased persons is proving difficult. The process of locating and recovering the remains takes time,” reads an official statement.
Of the 175 passengers on board, 173 were South Korean citizens and two were Thai. The Jeju Air company, in a statement published on its social channels, apologized for the tragedy, promising its maximum commitment to assisting the families of the victims. “We bow our heads and apologize to all those who have been harmed,” the statement reads.
In the next few hours we will update you; we are already in contact with a pilot and industry experts so as to provide further information in the next few days.
