According to various sources, two individuals—a passenger and a flight attendant—were pulled alive but seriously injured from the tail section of a Jeju Air aircraft wreckage. The plane, carrying 181 people, made an emergency landing without deploying its landing gear at Muan Airport in southwestern South Korea, collided with a fence, and exploded. The South Korean news agency Yonhap, citing the fire department, reported this incident. The death toll is expected to reach 179, though the official count by the fire department currently stands at 120.
Initial indications suggest that the tragedy was caused by a bird strike, leading to a malfunction in the aircraft’s wheel system. The fire department reported that there are “so far, two survivors” but confirmed 96 dead in their initial report. The crash occurred today at 09:03 local time (02:03 Greek time) while operating flight JJA-2216. The Boeing 737-8AS, which entered service in August 2009, had 175 passengers, including two Thai nationals, and a six-member crew onboard. Muan is approximately 290 kilometers south of Seoul.
Lee Jong-hyun, commander of the Muan fire department, stated in a press conference that the accident is believed to be due to a bird strike combined with adverse weather conditions. However, the precise causes will be determined following the investigation.