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In South Korea, first remains handed over to families after deadly crash
The first remains of the 179 victims of the worst crash on South Korean soil were handed over to their families on Tuesday, as investigators still try to determine the causes of the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crash that occurred two days earlier. Authorities began to study the two black boxes extracted from the aircraft, according to Vice Minister in charge of aviation Joo Jong-wan, while an American investigation team, including representatives from Boeing, arrived on the places tragedy, in Muan (south-west). Sunday morning, a Boeing 737-800 of the South Korean low-cost company Jeju Air, coming from Bangkok, landed on its belly before crashing at high speed into a wall at the end of the track. Under the force of the impact, the aircraft folded in two and caught fire. In total, 181 people, including six crew members, were on board. All died, with the exception of a hostess and a steward. The country declared seven days of national mourning, from Monday to Sunday inclusive. “Of the 179 victims, the remains of four of them passed procedures for returning to families for funerals,” Transport Minister Park Sang-woo said from Muan airport. He added that the funerals of 28 identified and autopsied bodies could begin from 2:00 p.m. local time (05:00 GMT), “with the consent of the families”. The firefighters had warned that the identification of all the dead would be difficult given the violence of the accident which left the plane “almost completely destroyed”. relatives of deceased passengers, who have been camping there since Sunday, are still hoping for information and anger is growing among some of them, exhausted by the wait. Acting President Choi Sang-mok described this tragedy as a “turning point” for the Korea of the South, calling for a complete overhaul of air safety systems. – “I pray for your eternal rest” -At the crash site, investigators bustle near the cabin while soldiers tiptoe around from the airport, among the offerings and letters left for the victims.”Captain, purser, crew members, thank you very much for doing your best to save the passengers. I pray for your eternal rest,” said one of the messages. A family lost nine members in this disaster, according to local channel KBC. The oldest member of the flight, aged 78, was traveling with his wife, two daughters , one of his sons-in-law and four grandchildren, for his first time abroad to celebrate his birthday, reports KBC. Only the husband of one of the old man's daughters remains, who could not join them.Places of commemoration were erected in the country, including in Seoul, at Muan airport, families gathered on Tuesday for the construction of a new altar, surrounded by white and black flowers. – Avian collision, dysfunction, wall -The? The crashed Jeju Air plane must have landed on its belly, raising the question of a potential malfunction in its landing gear. South Korean authorities have launched a “full inspection” of all Boeing 737-800s operated by national companies, a second aircraft of this model, from Jeju Air once again, having encountered a momentary problem with its landing gear on Monday morning and had to return to the ground shortly after takeoff. The trail of a bird collision , haunting pilots, was mentioned to explain the accident. The Muan airport control tower had sent a warning to this effect to the plane's crew three minutes before the crash. The pilot had issued a warning message (“mayday”) before the emergency landing. The engines of jet planes can lose power or even stop completely after sucking in a bird. Critics, however, focus on the architecture of the airport and in particular on the presence at the end of the runway of the wall that the plane hit.”Normally, there is no such solid obstacle at the end of the runway (…) The structure in question caused it to crash and burst into flames the plane”, told AFP Kim Kwang-il, professor of aeronautical sciences at Silla University and former pilot. According to Vice Minister Joo Jong-wan, this barrier is a locator, “a type of navigation aid system” which does not have a “standard or uniform design”.kjk-hs/tmt/roc
