South Korean police raided Muan airport in the southwest of the country on Thursday, where the crash of a Jeju Air plane killed 179 people on Sunday.
“In relation to the plane crash that occurred on December 29, a search and seizure operation has been conducted since 9:00 a.m. (00:00 GMT) on January 2 in three locations,” including Muan airport, the Jeju company office Air in Seoul as well as an office of the regional aviation sector authority in Muan, police said in a statement sent to AFP.
“The police intend to quickly and rigorously determine the cause and responsibility for this accident in accordance with the law,” added the same source.
On Sunday morning, budget airline Jeju Air Flight 2216, coming from Bangkok, landed on its belly at Muan Airport and slammed into a concrete wall at the end of the runway, folding in two and catching fire. .
Only two of the 181 people on board the plane – a hostess and a steward – survived the accident, the worst air disaster in history to occur on South Korean soil.
– “Immediate measures” –
South Korean and American investigators are working at the crash site, where the two black boxes of the Boeing 737-800 were found.
The damaged flight data recorder must be analyzed in the United States, Vice Minister of Aviation Joo Jong-wan announced on Wednesday. The second black box, which contains the cockpit conversations, gave rise to a first data extraction.
All South Korean airlines’ Boeing 737-800s – 101 aircraft from six carriers, according to authorities – are also subject to inspections mainly targeting the landing gears, which appear to have malfunctioned on the crashed plane, reported the general director in charge of aviation security policy, Yoo Kyeong-soo.
South Korea’s new interim president, Choi Sang-mok, said Thursday that “immediate action” should be taken if inspections reveal any problems with the plane model.
“Due to the public’s great concern about the aircraft model involved in the accident, the Ministry of Transport and relevant agencies must conduct a careful inspection” of maintenance operations and training, Mr. Choi Thursday.
-“If any problem is identified during inspection, please take immediate rectification measures,” he added.
– “I miss you” –
Officials believe that a collision with birds is a possible explanation for the tragedy. But the investigation is also looking into the presence of a concrete wall located at the end of the runway, against which the airliner rushed before catching fire.
At Muan airport, messages, food and flowers were left near the crash site, notably by relatives of the victims.
“My heart, I miss you so much”, displays one of these little words. “My dear sister, you are the most caring person I know. I am not going to be well. I will always remember you (…) I love you”, is written on another.
According to local media, a handwritten message, apparently from a brother of the pilot, was left there with gimbap, popular rolls of seaweed sheets containing rice and other ingredients.
“I am overwhelmed when I think of the difficulties you faced alone,” this word says. “You were truly amazing and did so well, so I hope you can now find happiness in a warm place.”
Relatives of the victims were allowed to visit the crash site Wednesday for the first time since the accident. They placed tteokguk, a soup traditionally enjoyed in South Korea on the occasion of the New Year, and said their goodbyes, many of them in tears.
Hundreds of people also queued for several hundred meters to pay their respects at an altar. So many people went there that the mobile phone network was saturated, according to the local press. Other places of tribute have been set up across the country.
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