Tuesday 8 April 2025
Plane Crash at Muan International Airport Left 179 Passengers Dead; Families Devastated
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South Koreans are currently breathing the air of grief and crying tears of pain. The black morning of Sunday has torn apart hundreds of families, following the tragic plane crash at Muan International Airport. The South Korean Plane carrying 181 passengers met with a deadly accident leaving 179 confirmed dead.
The plane crash at Muan International Airport marks the deadliest aviation disaster in South Korea since 1997. Earlier in 1997, a Korean Airlines Boeing 747 crashed in the jungles of Guam, claiming 228 lives. With this recent crash, the nation is left with the inconsolable pain of questioning the passenger’s safety in planes.
The Jeju Air Flight 7C 2216 was returning from Bangkok, Thailand. The plane was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members, many of them returning from vacation. The crash happened at the Muan International Airport, located on South Korea’s southwestern coast, just after 9 a.m. local time on Sunday.
The heart wrenching visuals captured the moment the twin-engine plane skidded off the runway and crashed into the concrete wall. The plane was immediately engulfed in flames and thick black smoke covered the sky.
According to the local fire department, out of 181 people onboard, only two survived. The two crew members were pulled from the debris and were given immediate medical help. Officials said that the survivors were in conscious state when taken out of the plane. But they are now out of danger.
According to the South Korea’s Transport Ministry, the pilots told the air traffic control that their aircraft had collided with a flock of birds. Following this they attempted to make an emergency landing at the airport. The collision that happened moments before the crash, may have contributed to the planes loss of control and tragic crash.
Geoffrey Thomas, the Australia-based editor-in-chief of Airline Ratings, suggested that a bird strike likely played partial role in the crash. Thomas further pointed that the aircraft suffered an electrical failure, as it stopped transmitting crucial location data, known as “ADS-B data,” to air traffic control shortly after declaring a mayday. This failure may have contributed significantly to the tragic outcome.
However, according to the South Korea’s Deputy Transport Minister, Joo Jong-wan the 2,800-meter length of the runway did not play a role in the accident. He further noted that the airport’s concrete walls were constructed according to “industry standards,” suggesting that the cause of the crash lay elsewhere.
Jeju Air, however, has refused to say anything regarding the causes of the accident. In a statement, the airline apologized and accepted “full responsibility” for the accident. The company assured the public that no mechanical issues had been identified with the aircraft following its regular checkups. It also expressed a willingness to await the results of the government’s ongoing investigations to determine the exact cause of the tragedy
The South Korean administration has announced a 7-day mourning period as a tribute to the lost lives in this deadly crash. Acting President Choi Sang-mok made the announcement on Sunday during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters in Seoul.
The statement said that the mourning period will be observed until midnight on January 5. During this time, joint memorial altars will be set up at Muan International Airport, the crash site, and in 17 cities and provinces across South Korea, including South Jeolla Province, Gwangju, Seoul, and Sejong, allowing the nation to collectively honor the lives lost in the tragedy.
We extend our powers and prayers to the families of the passengers.
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