179 Dead in South Korea’s Worst Plane Crash in Years

South Korea’s Plane Crush: On Sunday, a passenger jet crash-landed in South Korea, killing 179 people. The plane, carrying 181 passengers, landed on its belly at Muan International Airport, veered off the runway, and burst into flames. Rescuers pulled only two survivors, both of them crew, from the smoldering wreckage. This is now the deadliest air crash in South Korea in over 20 years.

Possible Cause of the Crash
Local fire officials and aviation experts have said a malfunction in the landing gear may have been the reason for the crash. The pilot had issued a mayday call shortly after being warned from the control tower about birds in the

vicinity. However, it could take several years in determining the cause of the incident, as experts said, and warned

against speculations. Authorities have asked that officials not jump to premature conclusions even as families of victims demanded answers.

A Boeing 737-800 en-route from Bangkok, Thailand. Considering some of the recent tragedies associated

with Boeing’s line of 737 Max, analysts say it is essential

to note that the 737-800 plane is a reliable, safe airplane. Jeju Air, too, is considered an airline that has a fairly

good record over the years as South Korea’s largest operator of low-cost carriers.
A video witnessed the footage of the crash and showed

the high-speed skidding of the plane before hitting an embankment and bursting into flames. Further, there were

disturbing visuals of neither the front or rear landing gear visible, and smoke pouring from the rear of the aircraft.

The chief of the fire department, Lee Jeong-hyun, presumed that the cause was either a bird strike or poor weather conditions. US federal authorities, including the National Transportation Safety Board, will support the investigation.

Key Evidence Recovered
Recorders storing information on flight data and conversation in the cockpit were also recovered. These will now help investigators piece together what really happened before the crash.

Grief at Muan Airport
Scenes of anguish and despair were unfolded at Muan

International Airport, where the relatives were waiting

anxiously for information about the outcome. A number of relatives fainted as the list of names of victims was read out loudly. One bereaved father, whose daughter was

on her way back from Thailand after visiting her family to South Korea, showed his pain: “I never thought this would be the last time we saw each other forever.”

Another father, 71-year-old Jeon Je-Young, said he cannot believe his daughter did not call before the tragedy.

Political Context
This tragedy has happened amid political turmoil in South Korea, with the country embroiled in one of its worst

leadership crises. Acting President Choi Sang-mok, who took office only days earlier, visited Muan International Airport on Sunday to show support for the families of the victims and monitor the disaster response.

South Korea’s Acting President Announces Week of Mourning After Deadly Plane Crash
Following the Muan International Airport plane crash tragedy, the acting President of South Korea, Choi Sang-mok, declared a week of national mourning starting from Sunday to January 4. This declaration is in regard to the killing of 179 people. Besides this mourning period, Choi announced that 17 memorial altars would be established across the country to mourn the victims.

The national call for unity is a dramatic moment of inter-Korean conciliation at one of the most tumultuous

moments in South Korean political history. Just two days before the crash, the nation’s parliament voted to

impeach Prime Minister and acting President Han Duck-soo. This political crisis in the wake of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s loss of powers earlier this month, after a controversial short-lived declaration of martial law, has set off new shockwaves.

Three-Year-Old and 78-Year-Old Among Passengers of South Korean Jet

The youngest passenger aboard the Jeju Air flight that crash-landed on Sunday at Muan International Airport was a three-year-old child, while the oldest was a 78-year-old, according to the fire service, which referenced the passenger manifest.

According to the report from the fire service, 177 people died in the devastating crash, while two out of 181 passengers are still missing. The survivors included two crew members, one male and one female, currently in the hospital for treatment.

A week of mourning has been declared in the Jeolla province in South Korea, as the official announced at a provincial briefing on Sunday, dedicated to the victims of this terrible crash.

Asaase Broadcasting Company airs on Asaase 99.5 Accra, Asaase 98.5 Kumasi, Asaase 99.7 Tamale, Asaase 100.3 Cape Coast, AsaasePa 107.3 (Accra).
Affiliates: Bawku FM 101.5, Bead FM 99.9 (Bimbilla), Mining City Radio 89.5 (Tarkwa), Nandom FM 101.9, Nyatefe Radio 94.5 (Dzodze), Sissala Radio 96.3 (Tumu), Somuaa FM 89.9 (Gushegu), Stone City 90.7 (Ho) and Wale FM 106.9 (Walewale).
Listen online: asaaseradio.com, Sound Garden and TuneIn.
Follow us:
X: @asaaseradio995, @Asaase985ksi, @Asaase997tamale, @asaase1003, asaasepa1073
Instagram: asaaseradio99.5, asaase985ksi, asaase100.3, asaase99.7tamale, asaasepa107.3
LinkedIn: company/asaaseradio995. TikTok: @asaaseradio99.5
Facebook: asaase99.5, asaase985ksi, Asaase100.3, asaase99.7, AsaasePa107.3.
YouTube: AsaaseRadioXtra.
Join the conversation. Accra: call 020 000 9951/054 888 8995, WhatsApp 020 000 0995. Kumasi: call 059 415 7985 or call/WhatsApp 020 631 5260. Tamale: call/WhatsApp/SMS 053 554 6468. Cape Coast: call/WhatsApp 059 388 2652.
#AsaaseRadio
#AsaasePa
#TheVoiceofOurLand

The post 179 Dead in South Korea’s Worst Plane Crash in Years appeared first on Asaase Radio.