Muan International Airport Becomes Center of Grief and Chaos

The crash of Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 on Sunday has left South Korea mourning its deadliest aviation disaster in nearly 30 years. The Boeing 737-800 plane, carrying 175 passengers and six crew members, crashed at Muan International Airport. Only two crew members survived. Medics have identified 141 victims so far, while DNA tests are being conducted for the remaining 28 bodies. Families gathered at the airport to mourn as the names of the dead were announced. Rows of yellow tents were erected for relatives who stayed overnight.

Footage of the crash showed the plane sliding on its belly before hitting a wall and erupting in flames. Experts suspect that the undercarriage failed to deploy. Authorities, including the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Boeing, are investigating. Two black boxes have been recovered, but one suffered damage and has been sent to Seoul for analysis. The South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reported that the pilot attempted to land in the opposite direction after being warned about a bird strike.

Read more: At Least 167 Killed in Jeju Air Plane Crash at South Korea Airport

The victims of Sunday’s crash include 84 males, 85 females and 10 people whose gender could not be determined, according to the South Jeolla Fire Service. Both of the survivors were crew members, one man and one woman, according to the rescue team. Two Thai nationals were among those on board, according to the South Korean transport ministry. All the other passengers were South Koreans.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok declared seven days of national mourning and promised, “We will transparently disclose the progress of the investigation into the accident, even before the final results are released, and keep the bereaved families informed.” Choi is leading a centralised disaster response team. More than 700 police, military and coast guard personnel are assisting in response efforts. A memorial altar has been set up in Muan for the victims.

A father of one of the Thai victims, Boonchuay Duangmanee, told the Associated Press he “never thought that this would be the last time we would see each other forever.” His daughter, Jongluk, had been working in a factory in South Korea for several years, he told the AP. She had been in Thailand visiting family before departing on the flight from Bangkok to Muan. “I heard that the plane exploded in Korea this morning. But I did not expect at all that my daughter would be on this flight,” he said.

Another man, who lost his daughter, told Reuters he had not heard from her before the crash. “She was almost home so she didn’t feel the need to make a call,” 71-year-old Jeon Je-Young said of his daughter Jeon Mi-Sook. Another grieving parent, Jeon Je-Young, said, “She thought she was coming home. I figure in those last moments when she did try to reach out, the damage had already been done.”