A devastating aviation disaster occurred in South Korea as a Jeju Air flight from Bangkok crashed while attempting to land at Muan International Airport on Sunday at 9:03 a.m. local time.
The accident claimed 179 lives, including 85 women, 84 men, and 10 others whose genders remain unidentified, according to the National Fire Agency.
The flight, carrying 175 passengers and six crew members, encountered difficulties reportedly caused by a bird strike, which led to malfunctioning landing gear. The crash triggered a fire that was later extinguished. Two crew members were rescued from the wreckage, making it one of South Korea’s worst aviation tragedies.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing as authorities work to determine the full sequence of events leading to the crash.
Al Jazeera’s Rob McBride, reporting from Seoul, said the accident has been declared the worst in history on South Korean soil.
