Firefighting authorities conduct search operations at the plane crash site at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province on Sunday evening. — YONHAP/VNA Photo

HÀ NỘI/MUAN — State President Lương Cường on Sunday sent a message of condolences to Acting President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Choi Sang-mok over the Jeju Air plane crash which caused multiple fatalities and injuries earlier the same day.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn also extended his condolences to RoK's foreign minister Cho Tae-yul.

The tragic plane crash Sunday morning at Muan International Airport has claimed at least 177 lives as of 7pm., with authorities warning the death toll could rise to 179 in what is RoK'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 RoK's 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. Two of the passengers were Thai nationals, identified as women in their 20s and 40s.

Rescuers operate at the site of an airplane crash at the Muan International Airport. — REUTERS/VNA Photo

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

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 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 January 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 1.30am. and was scheduled to land in Muan at 8.30am. However, the control tower at Muan International Airport issued a bird strike warning to the Jeju Air flight moments before the crash, the RoK's transport ministry confirmed in a third briefing on Sunday.

During its first landing attempt on runway No. 1 at roughly 8.54am, the plane failed to land and performed a go-around, a maneouver 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 8.57am. Just one minute later, at 8.58am, the pilot of the ill-fated aircraft issued a mayday distress signal.

The plane attempted an emergency landing on runway No 19 at approximately 9am but crashed three minutes later, at 9.03am, while attempting a belly landing without functional landing gear. A belly landing, also known as a gear-up landing, is an emergency maneuver 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.

Most of the people aboard the airplane were believed to have been killed except two rescued. — XINHUA/VNA Photo

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 apologized 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.

A Jeju Air representative also noted that the crashed aircraft, a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800, had no prior history of accidents.

Special disaster zone

RoK's Acting President Choi Sang-mok has announced a week-long national mourning period until January 4, 2025.

Choi, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, designated Muan as a special disaster zone.

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. — VNA/THE KOREA HERALD/ANN