South Korean airliner crashes, killing at least 179

South Korean airliner Jeju Air crashes, killing at least 124 — Screengrab of video of South Korean airliner Jeju Air shared by local media showed the twin-engine aircraft skidding down the runway with no apparent landing gear before slamming into a wall in an explosion of flame and debris, at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, South Korea, December 29, 2024. Photo: Screengrab/Video/South Korean television channels/iKurd.net

SEOUL,— At least 179 people were killed on Sunday when a passenger plane skidded off the runway and erupted into flames during a crash landing at South Korea’s Muan International Airport, officials reported.

The aircraft, Jeju Air flight 7C2216, was arriving from Bangkok, Thailand, with 181 people on board. It attempted to land shortly after 9 a.m. local time (0000 GMT), according to the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport.

The ministry described the incident as “South Korea’s worst airline disaster in nearly 30 years and warned it could become the deadliest in the nation’s history.”

Local media aired footage of a Boeing 737-800 skidding along the runway with its landing gear retracted, before crashing into a wall. The impact triggered a fireball, scattering debris. Photos revealed thick smoke engulfing the fuselage as fire consumed large sections of the aircraft.

Rescue teams managed to pull two crew members, a man and a woman, from the tail section, Muan Fire Chief Lee Jung-hyun said during a briefing. Both were hospitalized with severe injuries.

“The fire was put out by 1 p.m., but most of the plane is destroyed, with only part of the tail still visible,” Lee said. Search crews are now combing nearby areas for victims who may have been thrown from the aircraft by the impact of the crash.

At the airport’s arrival hall, distraught relatives gathered, some weeping and clutching each other for support. Red Cross volunteers distributed blankets, while officials collected contact information from families.

Firefighters carry out extinguishing operations on an aircraft which drove off runaway at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, South Korea, December 29, 2024. Yonhap/via Reuters

Witnesses described the crash site as reeking of aviation fuel and blood. Rescue workers in protective gear and soldiers searched nearby areas, including bushes around the runway.

Investigators Eye Bird Strike, Weather

Initial reports suggest a bird strike may have caused the landing gear to malfunction, officials said. The airport’s control tower had issued a bird strike warning moments before the pilots declared a mayday.

“About a minute after the mayday call, the aircraft attempted its landing,” a transport ministry official stated. A passenger texted a family member saying, “A bird is stuck in the wing,” and ominously added, “Should I say my last words?” News1 agency reported.

The crash is South Korea’s worst since a Korean Air disaster in Guam in 1997 that killed over 220.

Passengers aboard the ill-fated flight included two Thai nationals, with the rest believed to be South Korean, according to the ministry. Recovery efforts and investigations are ongoing.

An Azerbaijani passenger plane with 67 people on board crashed Wednesday near the Kazakh city of Aktau. At least 38 people were killed, and 29 others survived the incident. Preliminary reports from an Azerbaijani investigation suggest the plane may have been shot down by Russian air defense systems.

(With files from Reuters | AP)