29th December 2024 – (Seoul) A Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crash-landed at Muan Airport in South Korea on Sunday morning (29th), reportedly due to a bird strike that caused a malfunction in the landing gear. The aircraft veered off the runway and crashed, carrying 175 passengers and six crew members. As of now, 58 fatalities have been confirmed, and two people have been rescued. Muan Airport has announced the cancellation of all flight operations.
The incident occurred just after 9am local time on Sunday, involving Jeju Air flight 7C 2216, which was en route from Bangkok and carrying 175 passengers along with six crew members.
Initial investigations suggest that a malfunction in the landing gear was the primary cause of the accident. Eyewitness video captured firefighters deploying water cannons to douse the flames engulfing the wreckage of the Boeing 737-800, which was reported as being “almost completely destroyed” by fire. Debris from the aircraft was scattered across the runway and an adjacent earthen embankment, highlighting the severity of the impact.
Among those on board were two Thai nationals, as confirmed by South Korea’s Land Ministry. In response to the tragedy, acting president Choi Sang-mok has directed emergency responders to mobilise “all available” equipment and personnel to assist in the recovery efforts.
Furthermore, officials from South Korea’s Incident Investigation Committee arrived at the crash site by 10.10am. local time to initiate a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
