President Joe Biden has offered condolences after a devastating plane crash in southwest South Korea claimed the lives of 179 people. The incident sent South Korea into nationwide mourning and prompted an investigation by Korean and American inspectors.
“Jill and I are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life that occurred as a result of the Jeju Airlines accident in Muan, Republic of Korea,” Biden said in the statement released yesterday. “As close allies, the American people share deep bonds of friendship with the South Korean people and our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by this tragedy.
Jeju Air Flight 7C 2216 arrived at Muan International Airport from Bangkok on Sunday, but investigators say the plane likely failed to deploy it’s landing gear, skidding off the runway before crashing into a concrete wall and exploding, reports CNN. Of the 181 people on board, only two survived.
The survivors, a 33-year-old man and one 25-year-old woman, were recovered from the plane’s tail section, the only part of the aircraft that remained somewhat intact, according to the BBC. Both of the survivors were members of the flight crew and are currently hospitalized. The male survivor is reportedly conscious and talking, while suffering multiple fractures in his back, while the female survivor has sustained ankle and head injuries but is a stable condition.
This incident is the deadliest aviation disaster in South Korean history since 1997, when a Korean Airlines Boeing 747 crashed in Guam and killed 228 people. It is also the worst domestic aviation disaster in South Korean history.
The passengers ranged in age from a three-year-old boy to a 78-year-old man. According to The Korea Herald, two of the victims were Thai nationals, identified as women in theirs 20s and 40s.
As mentioned by the New York Times, the Jeju Air plane was identified as a Boeing 737-800, a 15-year-old model commonly used worldwide.
Najmedin Meshkati, a USC engineering professor, told the NYT that “The plane in question is very safe and has a good safety record”, and that the 737-800’s landing gear is well designed, however accidents can occur if left in poor condition.
“Maintenance is really one of the most important causes of aviation accidents,”
“Regardless of the cause, I deeply feel my responsibility as CEO.”, said Kim E-bae, president of Jeju Air Co. “Jeju Air will do everything in its power to expedite recovery efforts and provide full support to the families of the victims.”. Kim also said that they are waiting for official results from authorities, saying “At this point, it is difficult to determine the cause of the accident, and we must wait for the official findings from the relevant government agencies”.
Choi San-Mook, South Korea’s acting president, has since ordered emergency safety checks on the local airplane operation system, as investigators proceed to investigate the aircrafts landing malfunction, the Financial Times reports. According to the Seattle Times and CNN, specialists from American aviation agencies, U.S. federal agents, and a Boeing technical team have been dispatched to South Korea to assist the investigation.
Choi has also designated Muan International Airport as a special disaster zone, according to The Korea Herald, saying “The government has activated the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and will deploy all necessary resources. We will officially declare Muan as a special disaster zone to ensure effective relief and recovery efforts,”
Local fire officials and aviation experts believe that the cause of the crash was a landing gear malfunction. Lee Jeong-hyun, head of the Muan Fire Department, said that the crash was “estimated to be the occurrence of a bird strike or bad weather”, to CNN reporters.
According to the South Korean land ministry, the plane’s black boxes, which hold flight data and voice recordings, have been recovered, but they have suffered damage on the outside. According to officials, the plane’s pilot issued a mayday call to the airport control tower, and said that it suffered a bird strike moments before crashing.
South Korean police said that the names of the victims will be revealed to the public after identities are verified via fingerprint analysis, which lead to strife between officials and grieving families who wished to personally identify the bodies.
71-year-old Jeon Je-young, the father of one of the passengers, Mi-sook, shared his grief in a Reuters interview. “When I saw the accident video, the plane seemed out of control”, said Jeon. “The pilots probably had no choice but to do it. My daughter, who is only in her mid-40s, ended up like this. This is unbelievable.”
“She was almost home, so (she saw) no need to call the family (to leave any final message). She thought she was coming home”
As mentioned by The Korea Herald, members of both the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and opposition Democratic Party (DP) visited Muan International Airport on Monday to pay respects and comfort the families of the victims.
“I have asked everyone to pool their efforts to expedite the identification of the victims and handle the necessary procedures as swiftly as possible,”, said PPP statesman Kim Dai-sik. “We will stand beside the bereaved families to address both funeral arrangements and compensation issues.”.
Amidst South Korea’s current political crisis, Choi has declared a week-long mourning period from Sunday to Jan. 4, and that 17 memorial alters to be set up nationwide, according to CNN.
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