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A somber atmosphere filled with grief loomed over South Korea on Sunday morning as a plane carrying 181 people crashed and burst into flames, likely killing at least 179 of them. Inconsolable families and friends of the passengers hurriedly gathered at the Muan International Airport where the incident took place, looking for their loved ones. One such family of a passenger reportedly said they received a text from the person onboard, minutes before the crash, saying that a bird was stuck to the flight's wing.
Another message pinged on their phone saying, "Should I say my last words?"
Many locals saw the flames in the jet's engine and heard multiple explosions during the incident, reported South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
"I saw the plane descending and thought it was about to land when I noticed a flash of light...Then there was a loud bang followed by smoke in the air, and then I heard a series of explosions," an eyewitness who was taking a stroll around 4.5 kilometers away from the airport, said.
Another witness recalled hearing the sound of "metal scraping" twice about five minutes before the crash, the local media reported. The man, then, saw the plane ascending after failing to make a landing, heard an explosion, and saw black smoke billowing into the sky - all within a couple of seconds.
The Jeju Air plane, a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, was flying from Bangkok to Muan. It attempted to land shortly after 9 am but ended up crashing into a fence. Visuals showed the twin-engine plane skidding off the runway, crashing, and immediately bursting into flames. Within seconds, huge black smoke rose into the sky.
The only thing that gave away about the crashed flight was its charred tail.
In the videos, it appears the aircraft attempted a 'belly landing' (without its landing gear fully extended).
Investigators are looking into bird strikes and weather conditions as possible factors that led to the deadly crash, officials said.
Also Read | Bird Hit, Gear Glitch, Belly Landing: Chain Of Events In South Korea Crash
More than two hours after the accident, smoke was still pouring out of the tail section and search efforts were underway for scattered pieces of the aircraft. Passengers' clothes, luggage, and water bottles - most of them stained with blood - were scattered all over the site.
According to local media, two people, likely to be crew members, have been rescued so far.
While the oldest person on the flight was a 78-year-old man, the youngest was a three-year-old baby, reported South Korea's News1 agency.
Reports also suggested that there were two Thai passengers onboard.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, in a post on X, wrote, "I would like to express my condolences to the families of the victims and injured. I have ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to urgently investigate whether there are any Thai passengers on this plane and what the current situation is. I have ordered immediate assistance. If there are Thai passengers, please contact their families to inform them of the progress and have the Ministry of Foreign Affairs report the situation at all times."
Authorities have switched from rescue to recovery operations and because of the force of the impact, are searching nearby areas for bodies possibly thrown from the plane, reported news agency Reuters citing Muan fire chief.
Jeju Air issues statement
Jeju Air issued a statement 'sincerely apologising' for the crash.
"We at Jeju Air will do everything in our power in response to this accident. We sincerely apologise for causing concern," the airline said in a statement on its website.
The airline's CEO Kim E-Bae, during a televised address, said that while the exact cause of the crash was still unknown, the plane had no record of accidents and there were no early signs of malfunction. "The airline will cooperate with investigators and make supporting the bereaved its top priority," he said.
All domestic and international flights at the Muan airport have been reportedly cancelled.