South Korea: 179 Dead, 2 Rescued After Plane Crashes on Runway
At least 179 people have been killed after a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 carrying 181 people crashed at Muan International Airport in South Korea on Sunday at 9:03 am local time.
Facts
- At least 179 people have been killed after a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 carrying 181 people crashed at Muan International Airport in South Korea on Sunday at 9:03 am local time.[1][2]
- The aircraft, returning from Bangkok, Thailand, attempted to land twice before skidding off the runway on its belly, colliding with a concrete wall, and bursting into flames.[3][4]
- Among the 181 people aboard, two were believed to be Thai nationals and the rest South Koreans. Emergency workers rescued two of the six crew members from the wreckage.[1][5]
- Emergency responders deployed 32 fire trucks and several helicopters, with over 700 personnel from police, military, and coast guard mobilized for rescue operations.[3][6]
- The fire was extinguished within 43 minutes of the initial crash, but the plane was completely destroyed, with only the tail section remaining recognizable.[3][4][6]
- The crash marks one of South Korea's deadliest aviation disasters since the 1997 Korean Airlines crash in Guam that killed 228 people.[7]
Sources: [1]Al Jazeera, [2]BBC News, [3]Associated Press, [4]The Korea Times, [5]CBS, [6]Korea Herald and [7]Independent.
Narratives
- Narrative A, as provided by FlightGlobal and Associated Press. This incident raises serious questions about airport safety protocols and emergency response procedures. Despite the Boeing 737-800's strong safety record and excellent maintenance in South Korea, the inability to prevent this disaster suggests potential systemic issues in emergency landing procedures.
- Narrative B, as provided by The New York Times. This is an unprecedented tragedy in South Korea’s history of exemplary aviation safety and marks the first fatal crash for Jeju Air, which was awarded a "very good" safety rating by the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport just last year. While a comprehensive investigation is essential, there is currently no indication that this incident reflects any broader safety issues.
