South Korea plane crash live: Only 65 victims of plane crash identified

When the acting president Choi Sang-mok visited the Muan airport, families of the crash victims reportedly surrounded him demanding real-time updates and pleading: “Please think of the families first”, Yonhap reported.

Choi could only bow repeatedly while saying, “I understand”.

More than 100 family members gathered in a meeting room at the Muan International airport to receive updates about their loved ones, reports Yonhap News. When Lee Jeong-hyeon, the chief of Muan fire station, told families that most passengers were presumed dead, the room erupted in wails of grief.

“Is there absolutely no chance of survival?” one family member asked, to which the fire chief could only bow his head and reply, “I’m so sorry, but that’s what it’s looking like”.

The National Police Agency has deployed 169 forensic investigators to help identify victims. Separately, 579 officers have been deployed to assist with search operations and escort emergency vehicles at the crash site.

The South Korean transport ministry has confirmed that investigators have recovered the flight data recorder, while the cockpit voice recorder is still being sought, Yonhap reported.

Transport ministry officials have revealed a critical six-minute sequence before the crash, reports Yonhap News. At 08:57, air traffic controllers warned the approaching aircraft about bird strike risks. One minute later, at 08:58, the pilot declared a “mayday”. The plane attempted to land at 09:00 and crashed at 09:03.

One of the two surviving crew members has reportedly corroborated initial theories about the cause, telling rescue workers immediately after being pulled from the wreckage that the aircraft had experienced a bird strike, according to fire officials.

According to local media reports, many of the passengers were families returning from Christmas package holidays in Thailand. The flight was carrying 175 passengers, including 173 South Koreans and two Thai nationals, along with six crew members.

Fire authorities have recovered 120 bodies from the Jeju Air crash site at Muan International Airport, with 59 people still missing, according to South Korea’s national fire agency. Officials say the death toll so far includes 54 men, 57 women, and nine victims whose gender could not be immediately determined, reports say.

Sunday’s crash of the Jeju Air plane is one of the deadliest disasters in South Korea’s aviation history. The last time South Korea suffered a large-scale air disaster was in 1997, when an Korean Airline plane crashed in Guam, killing 228 people on board.

Condolence messages are pouring in after the Muan Airport disaster in South Korea on Sunday that has left 179 people feared dead.

Philip Goldberg, the US ambassador to South Korea, said on social media: “I was heartbroken to hear about the tragedy at Muan Airport this morning. My sincerest condolences go out to the victims and their loved ones, and my thoughts are with the people of Korea during this difficult time.”

German ambassador to South Korea Georg Schmidt also offered condolences, writing: “Very best wishes for the injured and all involved in the rescue efforts. Our thoughts and prayers are with South Korea.”

The Fire department has revealed the the Jeju plane that crash landed in Muan on Sunday was ‘completely destroyed’.

“The plane is almost completely destroyed, and identifying the deceased is proving difficult. The process is taking time as we locate and recover the remains,” the fire department in Muan said in a statement.

The CEO of South Korean airline Jeju Air apologised to the victims of the plane crash. In a short media briefing, CEO Kim E-bae said that supporting the bereaved was a top priority for now, reported Reuters.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok has designated Muan as a special disaster zone, after a Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people, including 6 crew, split in two in a fire post landing at the Muan International Airport. 179 people are feared dead.

South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok reached the crash site at Muan International Airport to inspect the response to the Jeju Air crash.

“No words of consolation will be enough for the families who have suffered such a tragedy,” he said on the tragedy.

Choi has promised full government support for bereaved families.

Boeing has issued a statement regarding plane crash in South Korea, which saw a 737-800 plane skid off the runway before catching fire.

“We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding flight 2216 and stand ready to support them. We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew,” Guardian quoted a Boeing official as saying.

The Chief Executive Officer of Jeju Air , Kim E-bae, has issued official apology through the company website after the Muan crash.

“First, we bow our heads in apology to everyone who has trusted Jeju Air. At approximately 9:03 AM on 29 December, flight 7C2216 from Bangkok to Muan caught fire while landing at Muan International Airport. Above all, we express our deepest condolences and apologies to the families of the passengers who lost their lives in this accident. At present, the cause of the accident is difficult to determine, and we must await the official investigation results from the relevant government agencies,” Kim said in the statement.

“Regardless of the cause, as CEO, I feel profound responsibility for this incident. Jeju Air will do everything possible to promtly manage this accident and support the families of those aboard. We will also do our utmost to determine the cause of the accident in cooperation with the government. Once again, we pray for those who lost their lives in this accident and offer our deepest apologies to their bereaved families,” the statement added.

Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has condoled the people who lost their lives in the Jeju Air crash in South Korea’s Muan.

“I would like to express my condolences to the families of the deceased and injured. I have ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to urgently investigate whether there are any Thai passengers on this plane and what the current situation is. I have ordered immediate assistance. If there are Thai passengers, please contact their families to inform them of the progress and have the Ministry of Foreign Affairs report the situation at all times,” she wrote on X.

Fire officials have now shifted from rescue operations to recovery, saying the aircraft’s fuselage is damaged beyond recognition except for the tail section, reports News1.

Jeju Air updated it’s previous statement on its website. The company, which is facing first ever fatal crash since staring operations in 2005, has apologised.

“Jeju Air deeply bows in apology to all those affected by the Muan Airport accident. Our first priority is to do everything possible to manage this incident. We sincerely apologise for causing concern,” the statement on landing page of the website.

Two crew members were recued in the aftermath of the Muan plane crash in South Korea, local fire chief revealed. One rescued person is male while the other is female.

A bird strike and adverse weather likely caused the fatal Jeju Air crash in Muan, the local fire chief said.

“The cause of the accident is presumed to be a bird strike combined with adverse weather conditions. However, the exact cause will be announced following a joint investigation,” Lee Jeong-hyun, chief of Muan fire station, said during a briefing.

Authorities have presumed 179 passengers and crew dead, with two rescued- Guardian reports quoting Yanhop.

Death toll from plane fire Muan airport has risen to 85, South Korean fire agency says.

Jeju Air has switched its website to a minimalist, black background layout in response to the crash.

‘We deeply apologize to all those affected by the incident at Muan Airport. We will make every effort to resolve the situation. We sincerely regret the distress caused,” the statement on the website read.

Officials suspect a landing gear failure, possibly due to a bird strike, may have caused the accident. They have begun an on-site investigation to determine the exact cause, the Yonhap news agency reported.