(UPDATE at 8:38pm, BKK time) South Korean authorities have confirmed that every one 175 passengers and 4 crew members aboard Jeju Air 7C2216 perished aboard the ill-fated flight.
A proper assertion was issued to the general public at round 7:30pm, BKK time.
Of these on board, 5 of the casualties had been youngsters below the age of 10.
Given the severity of the harm, authorities have solely been in a position to determine 65 of the 179 casualties.
Meanwhile, the 2 survivors are stated to have sustained average to extreme accidents from their ordeal; each are at the moment below therapy.
National mourning
South Korea’s performing President Choi Sang-muk has declared a seven-day mourning interval for the victims of the crash to run till Saturday, 4th January.
Flags in any respect authorities workplaces might be flown half-mast and civil servants will put on black ribbons in solidarity with the households of the victims.
The authorities likewise introduced that it’ll conduct a civil investigation into the crash, calling within the United States’ National Transportation Safety Board for the reason that plane was designed and constructed there.
So far, emergency groups have recovered the plane’s flight information and cockpit voice recorders; these have been turned over to the authorities to assist within the investigation.
The Jeju Air crash is now thought-about South Korea’s deadliest aviation disaster as its loss of life toll has now surpassed that of the Asiana Airlines crash in Mokpo in 1993 which took 60 lives.
One Thai nationwide recognized
49-year-old Thai agriculturist Jongluk Doungmanee was confirmed to be one of many fatalities of the crash.
Doungmanee, who was married to a South Korean nationwide, was flying residence from Thailand the place she visited household for the vacations.
The Udon Thani native lived in South Korea for 5 years and leaves a husband and two youngsters, aged seven and 15.
The identification of the opposite Thai nationwide aboard the flight has but to be disclosed as of press time.
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(2:58pm, BKK Time) South Korean authorities at the moment report that solely two out of the 181 individuals aboard Jeju Air 7C2216 survived the crash at Muan International Airport earlier immediately, twenty ninth December, although rescue operations are nonetheless underway as of press time.
The two recognized survivors, each crew members discovered within the rear of the fallen plane, had been instantly rushed to a close-by hospital for therapy.
The plane which was flying in from Bangkok, Thailand, crashed throughout an emergency touchdown on the airport within the South Jeolla area.
The Boeing 737-800 plane was carrying 175 passengers and 6 crew members on the deadly flight.
The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that two of the passengers aboard the flight had been Thai nationals. So far, nevertheless, there have been no updates concerning both passenger.
This is the primary deadly accident for Jeju Air, a low-cost provider that has been in operation since 2005.
What brought about the crash?
Jeju Air Flight 2216’s final communication to the airport tower famous that the aircraft’s touchdown gear didn’t deploy because it made its strategy.
As of the newest updates from floor zero, authorities are nonetheless making an attempt to find out whether or not this was attributable to inclement climate or a chook strike, or a collision between the plane and a number of flying birds.
What is at the moment recognized is that the plane sped down the runway on its stomach for a number of minutes, ultimately overshooting the Muan Airport runway.
The aircraft then hit a floor barrier, exploding right into a fireball virtually on affect. As this occurred, witnesses on the bottom say they heard a loud bang.
The explosion is now making it tougher for search-and-rescue or -retrieval groups to take our bodies out of the particles, and additional complicates the method of figuring out people from the wreckage.
For now, our bodies are being ferried to a short lived mortuary arrange on the premises and might be transferred to funeral properties as soon as positively recognized.
Small likelihood of survival
Lee Jeong-hyeon, head of the Muan Fire Department, remarked on the second press convention held this afternoon: “It is presumed that most of the 181 on board have died. It is unfortunate, but that is what we are currently seeing.”
Acting South Korean President Choi Sang-mok has made his option to Muan to condole with the households of these aboard the flight, however has but to offer an announcement presently.
Meanwhile, Jeju Air has issued an announcement following the crash, declaring: ““First, we bow our heads in apology to everyone who has trusted Jeju Air. At approximately 9:03am on 29th December, flight 7C2216 from Bangkok to Muan caught fire while landing at Muan International Airport. Above all, we express our deepest condolences and apologies to the families of the passengers who lost their lives in this accident. At present, the cause of the accident is difficult to determine, and we must await the official investigation results from the relevant government agencies. We at Jeju Air will do everything in our power in response to this accident. We sincerely apologise for causing concern.”
Boeing has likewise issued a press assertion, saying: “We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding flight 2216 and stand ready to support them. We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew.”