A horrific plane crash at an airport in South Korea is feared to have killed all but two of the 181 people on board the plane.
The Boeing 737-800 passenger airliner operated by Jeju Air had taken out from Bangkok, Thailand, and had crashed at an airfield in the town of Muan, South Korea.
The plane appeared to have its landing gear still closed as it skidded down the runway, but news footage of the collision showed it crashing with a wall and bursting in a flame.
Emergency personnel raced to the scene of the accident to attempt to recover people after the catastrophe, which happened at 9:03 a.m. local time.
There are concerns that the remaining passengers have died because, as of this writing, only two of the 181 individuals on board the aircraft—both crew members—had been rescued alive from the crash.
At least 174 individuals have perished in the jet accident, according to South Korea’s National Fire Agency. Of them, 83 were women, 80 were males, and 11 were not immediately identified due to the fire.
According to officials, the plane’s tail was the only identifiable piece of the debris left over after the crash, and inquiries are currently being conducted to ascertain what went wrong.
An initial review of communication files suggests that the airport control tower warned the plane of a bird hit just prior to landing and allowed it to land somewhere else, according to authorities from the Korean transport ministry.
Shortly before the jet crashed, it sent out a distress call. The flight data and cockpit recording of the aircraft have been retrieved and will be examined as part of the investigation.
Jeju Air said in a statement that it will try its “utmost to manage the aftermath of the accident” and expressed a “deep apology” for the crash.
Kim E-bae, the airline’s CEO, stated that he takes “full responsibility” for the catastrophe and that routine inspections had found no mechanical issues with the aircraft.
He went on to say that he would wait for the findings of a government probe into the reason for the jet accident.
Boeing said they had been in contact with Jeju Air and would be willing to provide assistance in the aftermath of the crash, saying: “We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew.”
This tragic plane disaster comes after another recent catastrophe in which a jet operated by Azerbaijan Airlines carrying 67 people crashed in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day, killing 38 people.