[Breaking] Jeonnam Fire Department: "Most Missing Passengers from Crashed Airplane Confirmed Dead, Recovery Operations Underway"

Only 2 Survivors Among 181 Passengers
Difficulties in Identifying the Deceased
Only Tail Section of Passenger Plane Remains
Temporary Morgue Set Up on First Floor of Airport

At 9:07 a.m. on the 29th, an aircraft landing at Muan International Airport in Jeonnam veered off the runway and collided with the outer fence wall. The photo shows firefighters extinguishing the fire and rescuing people at the accident site. Photo by Seo Youngseo

The number of casualties among passengers on the aircraft that crashed at Muan International Airport in Jeonnam on the 29th is increasing.

The Jeonnam Fire Department held an emergency briefing at the scene around 1 p.m. and stated, "Of the 181 people on board the aircraft, it is presumed that all except for two rescued individuals have died," adding, "We are making every effort to carry out recovery operations."

The Jeonnam Fire Department explained, "After colliding with the fence, passengers were thrown out of the aircraft. The chances of survival are nearly zero."

They further added, "The fuselage is almost completely destroyed, and it is difficult to identify the deceased. It is taking time as we are confirming the locations of the remains and proceeding with recovery."

Fire authorities suspect that the cause may be a collision with a flock of birds.

Of all those on board, only two crew members were rescued and transferred to hospitals in the Mokpo area. However, a 22-year-old male will be transferred to Ewha Womans University Medical Center in Seoul at the request of his guardian.

Earlier, at around 9:07 a.m. that day, a Jeju Air passenger plane veered off the runway and collided with the outer fence while landing at Muan International Airport in Mangun-myeon, Muan-gun, Jeonnam. After the collision, only the tail section of the aircraft remained, with the rest burned beyond recognition.

The fire authorities plan to set up a temporary morgue on the first floor of the airport and, after confirming the identities of the victims with their families, transfer the bodies to funeral homes.