At least 179 people, including four crew members, lost their lives when a Jeju Air flight carrying 181 people burst into flames after crashing at South Korea's Muan International Airport on Sunday. Fire authorities confirmed that all 175 fatalities were passengers, while two of the six crew members survived, marking it as one of the deadliest aviation disasters in the nation's history.

Details of the Crash

The ill-fated aircraft, a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800, was en route from Bangkok, Thailand, to Muan, a southwestern coastal city in South Korea. The crash occurred at 9:07 a.m. (local time) when the plane veered off the runway with its landing gear reportedly still retracted. The plane struck a concrete barrier, causing it to erupt in flames upon impact.

Images and videos from the scene showed the aircraft engulfed in smoke and fire. "Passengers were ejected from the plane upon collision, leaving little chance of survival," a local fire official said during a press briefing.

Fatalities and Survivors

According to South Korea’s National Fire Agency, 176 victims—including 84 women, 82 men, and 11 individuals whose genders have not yet been identified—lost their lives in the fire. Emergency workers pulled two crew members out alive, both conscious and in stable condition. Authorities are continuing recovery operations to locate the bodies of the two missing individuals.

The aircraft carried 175 passengers and six crew members. Among the passengers, 173 were South Korean nationals, and two were from Thailand, as reported by Yonhap.

Suspected Cause of the Accident

Preliminary investigations suggest the crash may have been caused by a landing gear failure, possibly triggered by a bird strike during the descent. Officials have begun an in-depth probe into the incident.

"The aircraft was completely destroyed, with only the tail section remaining recognizable," said Lee Jeong-hyeon, the chief of Muan’s fire station, in a televised statement.

National and International Response

Acting President Choi Sung-mok, who recently assumed office amid political upheaval, declared a week-long national mourning period and directed all government agencies to prioritize recovery efforts.

Jeju Air released a statement expressing its "deep apology" for the tragedy and pledged full cooperation in managing the aftermath. Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra extended condolences to the victims’ families and ordered immediate support for those affected.

Suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who remains embroiled in political controversy following his impeachment, expressed devastation over the crash. His office announced that his chief secretary would convene an emergency meeting later in the day to address the incident.

A Grim Week for Global Aviation

This tragedy marks the first major accident at Muan International Airport, a vital transportation hub in South Jeolla Province. It comes during a turbulent week for global aviation. On December 25, an Azerbaijan Airlines jet crash-landed in Kazakhstan, claiming 38 lives. That incident was reportedly caused by a misfire from Russian air defenses targeting the plane.

The investigation into the Muan crash is ongoing as authorities seek answers to the catastrophic event that has left South Korea and the world grieving.