Almost all 181 on board killed in South Korean plane crash

Updated Dec. 29, 2024, 04:37 a.m. ET.

TAIPEI, Taiwan – A plane carrying 181 people crashed in a ball of flames as it was attempting to land in South Korea on Sunday, and all but two of those on board are presumed to have been killed, authorities said.

Witnesses said they heard explosions and saw flames in an engine of the Jeju Air flight as it was trying to land at about 9:07 a.m. in the city of Muan, and authorities were investigating the possibility that its landing gear failed after a bird strike, the Yonhap News Agency reported.

Video footage broadcast by TV stations showed the Boeing 737-800 plane coming onto a runway without deploying its landing gear. It skidded across the ground, hit a concrete wall, and exploded in a fireball.

“The plane body was almost destroyed, and the dead are difficult to identify. It is taking time to identify the location of the remains and recover them,” the Jeollanam-do Fire Department said.

“It is estimated that most of the 181 passengers, with the exception of the two who were rescued, died,” it said.

The official death toll climbed through the day to 176, with three missing, as bodies were recovered from a smoldering crash site where some 1,500 rescue workers sifted through the wreckage.

The BBC reported that “black box” flight data recorder had been recovered.

(Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

Jeju Air chief Kim E-bae made a public apology and extended condolences to the family members who lost their loved ones, vowing to provide all necessary support to the victims’ families.

“Regardless of the cause, I take full responsibility,” Kim said.

South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok visited the crash site and told officials to make all-out efforts in their search, and expressing deep condolences to the bereaved. He promised all possible government assistance.

Choi has been serving as acting president since Friday, after the National Assembly voted to impeach Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who was suspended less than two weeks after assuming the role from President Yoon Suk Yeol on Dec. 14.

“I believe no words of consolation will be enough,” Choi said.

“The government will spare no effort in supporting the bereaved families,” the acting president added.

Updates confirmed dead toll and adds comment from airline CEO.