Shaun
South Korea’s Transport Ministry official, in a press briefing on Monday, said that the pilot of the Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 told the air traffic control that the aircraft had suffered a bird strike and declared mayday shortly before the plane crashed on Sunday morning.
In an emergency meeting on Sunday, South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok declared a national mourning period until January 4 following the deadly plane crash at Muan International Airport that killed 179. Expressing his condolences, Choi in a post on X said, “The government would like to offer its sincere condolences to the bereaved families and will do its best to recover from this accident and prevent a recurrence.”
What happened at South Korea airport?
A Jeju Air flight which was landing shortly after 9 am local time at the airport veered off the runway and erupted into a fireball as it slammed into a wall at the airport. In videos shared by local news agencies, the twin-engine aircraft is seen skidding down the runway with no apparent landing gear before slamming into a wall in an explosion.
Who all were on board?
The 175 passengers included two Thai nationals, and the rest are believed to be South Koreans, according to the transportation ministry. The plane was a Boeing 737-800 jet operated by Jeju Air. The airlines is seeking details of the accident, including its casualties and cause, an airline spokesperson said. South Korean acting President Choi Sang-mok ordered all-out rescue efforts, according to his office.
