A woman crying | Source: Getty Images
A devastating airplane crash in South Korea has left the nation in mourning after claiming the lives of 179 people. A Jeju Air passenger jet, traveling from Bangkok, veered off the runway at high speed and slammed into a concrete wall, erupting into flames upon impact.
The crash, which occurred at Muan International Airport in southwestern South Korea, has been deemed the worst aviation disaster on South Korean soil in decades and the deadliest globally since the Lion Air Flight 610 tragedy in 2018.
Forensic investigators inspecting the wreckage of Jeju Air Co. Flight 2216 at Muan International Airport in Muan County, South Korea, on December 30, 2024. | Source: Getty Images
Among the 181 people on board, only two survived and were pulled from the burning wreckage at the plane’s tail. As investigations unfolded, grim updates trickled in, deepening the anguish of families anxiously awaiting news about their loved ones at the airport.
A distressed relative of a passenger on the Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 at Muan International Airport on December 30, 2024, in Muan-gun, South Korea. | Source: Getty Images
By late Sunday, the identities of most victims remained unknown, with officials able to confirm only 65 identities through fingerprints and other methods. Heart-wrenching scenes unfolded at the airport, with wails and sobs echoing as relatives clung to one another.
A grieving loved one of a passenger on the Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 at Muan International Airport on December 30, 2024, in Muan-gun, South Korea. | Source: Getty Images
Amid the tragedy, the haunting first words of one of the survivors, a male flight attendant identified only by his surname, Lee, offered a glimpse into the disorientation and horror surrounding the crash.
Rushed to a hospital in Mokpo before being transferred to Ewha Womans University Hospital in Seoul, Lee awoke confused and allegedly asked, “What happened? Why am I here?”
The wreckage of Jeju Air Co. Flight 2216 at Muan International Airport in Muan County, South Korea, on December 30, 2024. | Source: Getty Images
According to doctors, he remembered little beyond having his seatbelt on during the crash. Lee, who suffered a fractured left shoulder and head injuries, had been stationed at the back of the Boeing 737-800 and was in charge of passenger service during the flight.
Jeju Air CEO Kim E. Bae speaking at a press conference in Seoul on December 29, 2024, after one of the airline's passenger planes crashed and burst into flames the same day, killing 179 people on board, at Muan International Airport in Muan County, South Korea. | Source: Getty Images
According to reports, the second survivor was being treated for scalp lacerations and ankle fractures at Asan Medical Center in Seoul. While both survivors are expected to recover physically, the emotional scars of surviving such a catastrophe are likely to linger.
South Korean nuns paying tribute at a group memorial altar for victims of Flight 7C2216 at the Muan sports park on December 30, 2024, in Muan-gun, South Korea. | Source: Getty Images
Investigators are racing to determine the cause of the crash. Initial reports suggest the plane’s right engine was struck by a bird during its approach to the airport, damaging the landing gear and forcing the pilot to issue a mayday call.
Despite the pilot’s heroic efforts to control the aircraft and ensure the safety of those on board, the speed and force of the impact rendered their efforts futile.
Woo Won-shik, speaker of the National Assembly, bowing in front of a memorial for the victims of the Jeju Air Co. Flight 2216 crash. | Source: Getty Images
Investigators are continuing to piece together the events that led to the tragic plane crash, hoping to provide answers to those left behind and to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again.
