At least 124 people have been killed after a plane carrying 175 passengers and six crew members crashed while landing at an airport in South Korea on Sunday, December 29 morning.
A footage that’s gone viral, which has not yet been verified, shows the plane coming off the runway and crashing into a wall, before bursting into flames at Muan International Airport.
The Jeju Air Flight 2216 — which was carrying 173 South Koreans and two Thais, according to Yonhap News Agency — was returning from Bangkok in Thailand when it crashed.
Two people, both crew members, one male and one female, have so far been found alive, South Jeolla Fire Service official told Reuters news agency.
Although the cause of the crash is still not known, local media are reporting that it may have been caused by a bird strike (birds getting into the plane’s systems).
Local media is reporting that acting South Korean President Choi Sang-mok has arrived at the crash site. Choi has since given a directive to provide manpower, healthcare and equipment to help with the rescue efforts.
The government has pledged to do all it can to support the bereaved families.
Boeing
Boeing has send a message of condolence to the families that lost their loved ones, and said that it was in contact with the carrier – Jeju Air.
Jeju Air flight 2216 was listed on flight tracking sites as a Boeing 737-800.
“We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding flight 2216 and stand ready to support them,” Boeing said in a short statement posted to its X account. “We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew.”
The U.S aviation giant has had a turbulent time in recent years since two near-identical crashes involving 737 Max aircraft in 2018 and 2019. This crashes, which claimed lives of 346 passengers and crew, led to the global grounding of the plane for more than a year.
In 2021, prosecutors charged Boeing with one count of conspiracy to defraud regulators, alleging it had deceived the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about its MCAS flight control system, which was implicated in both crashes.
In July 2024, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to the criminal fraud conspiracy charge after the U.S found the plane maker violated a deal meant to reform it.
