Plane crash kills at least 120 in South Korea, only two survivors rescued

The plane made a violent landing before hitting a wall and catching fire. The two survivors are crew members.

A new drama in aviation. At least 120 people died and dozens of others are missing after the accident of a plane landing at Muan airport (South Korea), Sunday, December 29, according to a provisional report communicated by the authorities . The number of passengers killed could be higher, because this Boeing 737-8AS of the South Korean company Jeju Air was transporting 181 people from Bangkok (Thailand). Two survivors have so far been discovered. The plane largely caught fire after a violent landing, images of which were shared by local channel MBC.

In a press release, local emergency services announced that they had taken care of two survivors. The survivors are part of the company’s staff, the firefighters said. In detail, the flight plan showed 175 passengers and six crew members, according to the South Korean agency Yonhap. Around 9 a.m. in Muan (1 a.m. in Paris), the plane landed on its belly and suffered “an exit from the track” before hitting a concrete wall at the airport, reports the press agency. “All missing persons are presumed dead,” continues Yonhap, adding that “the rescue operation will become a body search operation”.

During an exchange with the families of the victims, the firefighters declared that “The passengers were ejected from the plane when it collided with a barrier, leaving them with little chance of survival.” “The plane is almost completely destroyed and the identification of the deceased is proving difficult”said an emergency services official. With the exception of two Thai citizens, all passengers and crew were of South Korean nationality.

According to the authorities, a landing gear failure was probably the cause of the tragedy. “The cause of the accident is believed to be a collision with birds combined with adverse weather conditions. However, the exact cause will be announced following an investigation”said Lee Jeong-hyun, head of the Muan Fire Station, at a press briefing. Acting President Choi Sang-mok quickly visited the scene and offered his condolences to the relatives of the victims of this plane crash, one of the deadliest in the country’s history.