At least 179 people were killed when a plane crashed while trying to land at Muan International Airport in South Korea.
Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 was arriving from Bangkok, Thailand, when the Boeing 737-800, which was carrying 181 people, apparently encountered difficulties while landing at the airport in South Korea’s Muan County in the South Jeolla Province.
The disaster resulted in 179 fatalities, including 175 passengers and four crew members, making it the deadliest aviation accident in South Korea’s history.
After issuing a Mayday signal, the plane attempted to land twice. During the second attempt, its landing gear was not lowered, resulting in a collision with the wall of the airport’s electronic landing systems and subsequent fire.
According to reports, two crew members survived.
Preliminary investigations suggest a bird strike may have caused the landing gear malfunction. The pilot had been warned about birds in the vicinity and was instructed to change runways.
South Korean authorities mobilized emergency response teams and are providing support to the victims’ families.
The South Korean crash follows the Dec. 25 crash of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 near Aktau, Kazakhstan, that resulted in 38 fatalities.
The Embraer 190AR was traveling from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, when it crashed. According to reports, 67 passengers and crew were on board.
Preliminary investigations suggest the aircraft was inadvertently struck by a Russian Pantsir-S air defense system while approaching Grozny. Reports indicated survivors had heard loud bangs before the crash.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has urged Russia to acknowledge responsibility for the incident. Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed condolences, referring to the event as a “tragic incident,” but has not formally admitted fault.
The crash remains under investigation.
