By Anadolu Agency
Jeju Air flight, carrying 181 passengers from Bangkok, veered off runway and caught fire on landing, reports media.
Control tower warned of a bird strike just 1 minute before plane made crash landing, say local authorities.
Despite South Korean authorities saying on Sunday that 179 people were “presumed” dead in a plane crash at Muan International Airport, the latest information from Seoul confirmed 167 deaths, with an operation at the site still underway to find any survivors other than two who had already been rescued.
“Out of the 181 passengers, most are presumed dead, except for the two who were rescued,” Yonhap News Agency reported earlier, quoting Jeolla Fire Department officials who briefed passengers’ families at the airport.
However, the authorities have now confirmed 167 deaths in the crash and announced that the airport runway will be closed until January 1 morning.
A Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by Jeju Air, carrying 181 passengers, including six crew, caught fire during landing after reportedly experiencing landing gear issues around 9:07 a.m. local time in Muan County—288 kilometers (179 miles) southwest of the South Korean capital of Seoul, according to the Yonhap News Agency.
The twin-engine Boeing aircraft, returning from Bangkok, veered off the runway and collided with a fence before slamming into a wall in a fiery explosion.
Footage by local media showed the plane skidding down the runway, engulfed in flames and debris.
Local authorities said that the control tower warned of a bird strike just one minute before the plane made a crash landing.
A passenger and a crew member were found alive in the tail section of the vehicle and were later transferred to a Seoul hospital while rescue efforts were ongoing.
Before the crash, witnesses reported seeing flames in the jet’s engine and hearing multiple explosions.
Yoo Jae-yong, a resident, told the news agency that he was at home when he noticed a spark on the plane’s right wing as it attempted to land at the airport. “I was telling my family there was a problem with the plane when I heard a loud explosion.”
Boeing, a US aviation company, said it is in contact with Jeju Air about flight 2216 and is ready to assist.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew,” it said in a statement.
Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae also apologized and stated that the cause of the crash has yet to be determined as government agencies continue to investigate.
The majority of the passengers were Koreans in addition to two Thai nationals.
An airport official said authorities were focusing on rescuing those trapped in the wreckage.
South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sung-mok, ordered “all-out rescue efforts” in response.
Choi, who assumed interim leadership amid a political crisis, convened an emergency meeting to oversee the response.
The crash marks one of the deadliest aviation accidents in South Korea in recent years.
The initial fire was extinguished, and investigations into the cause are underway to determine a definite cause.