South Korea plane crash: death toll passes 60 after Jeju Air flight ...

Fire authorities have identified 62 deaths from the Muan airport crash, according to Yonhap news agency and News1, with officials warning the death toll could rise as bodies remain inside the aircraft’s fuselage.

Two survivors, one passenger and one crew member, have reportedly been rescued and are receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.

The crash occurred when the Jeju Air flight from Bangkok, carrying 181 passengers and crew, attempted an emergency landing at around 9:03 am local time after reporting problems with its landing gear. Rescue teams continue to search the wreckage.

South Korea’s land, infrastructure and transport ministry has issued a statement on social media site, X, which said (unofficial translation):

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is dedicating all efforts to managing the Jeju Air flight 2216 incident.

At approximately 09:03 on Sunday, 29 December, Jeju Air Flight 2216 (Bangkok-Muan) was involved in an accident during landing at Muan International Airport.

The Ministry has activated its Central Accident Management Headquarters (09:30) and is concentrating all efforts on managing the aircraft accident at Muan Airport.

The aircraft was carrying 175 passengers (including 2 Thai nationals) and 6 crew members. The exact number of casualties is currently being determined.

Investigators from the Aviation Accident Investigation Committee arrived (10:10) and are currently investigating the cause. Safety operation directives have been issued to all airlines and airports.

The Ministry’s Central Accident Management Headquarters remains operational and plans to respond with full organisational capacity to minimise loss of life.

Transport Minister Park Sang-woo has urged all parties to do their utmost in rescue operations and accident management.

Jeju Air has switched its website to a minimalist, black background layout in response to the crash.

In its official notice, the airline confirmed flight 7C2216 from Bangkok to Muan was carrying 175 passengers and 6 crew members when it collided with structures at the end of the runway.

The company says it has “activated company-wide emergency protocols” and established a dedicated team to support bereaved families.

The website provides emergency contact numbers and states: “Jeju Air will do everything possible regarding this accident. We deeply apologise for causing concern”.

A least 62 people have died after an airliner carrying 175 passengers and six crew veered off a runway and smashed into a wall at an airport in South Korea.

Footage of the incident showed the Boeing 737-800 skid along the runway on Sunday morning before striking what appeared to be a concrete barrier at high speed and bursting into flames as parts of the fuselage flew into the air.

The accident occurred at around 9am local time, shortly after the plane, Jeju Air flight 7C2216, landed at Muan international airport about 300km south-west of Seoul, at the end of a flight from Bangkok, the Yonhap news agency reported.

Read more on this story from our reporters Justin McCurry and Raphael Rashid:

Fire authorities have identified 62 deaths from the Muan airport crash, according to Yonhap news agency and News1, with officials warning the death toll could rise as bodies remain inside the aircraft’s fuselage.

Two survivors, one passenger and one crew member, have reportedly been rescued and are receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.

The crash occurred when the Jeju Air flight from Bangkok, carrying 181 passengers and crew, attempted an emergency landing at around 9:03 am local time after reporting problems with its landing gear. Rescue teams continue to search the wreckage.

Fire authorities have identified 47 deaths from the Muan airport crash as of 11:40am local time, according to Newsis and Yonhap news agency, with officials warning the death toll could rise as bodies remain inside the aircraft’s fuselage.

Two survivors, one passenger and one crew member, have reportedly been rescued and are receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.

The crash occurred when the Jeju Air flight from Bangkok, carrying 181 passengers and crew, attempted an emergency landing at around 9:03 am local time after reporting problems with its landing gear. Rescue teams continue to search the wreckage.

Further images from Muan airport show firefighters and rescue workers responding.

View image in fullscreen

View image in fullscreen

The Muan-Bangkok route was part of the airport’s first international services in 17 years, launched just three weeks ago on 8 December.

The expansion was part of a broader revival that would see the regional airport operate routes to 18 international destinations across nine countries this winter season, according to Yonhap News.

According to Newsis, witnesses reported hearing loud “bang” sounds during the failed landing attempts, with the aircraft’s landing gear reportedly failing to deploy properly. The plane then veered off the runway and struck the airport’s perimeter wall, breaking into two pieces at the front and tail sections and bursting into flames. Emergency services have set up a temporary morgue at the site.

Yonhap News reports that three people have been rescued so far, with the search underway for additional casualties, while News1 reports that among those rescued are one passenger and one crew member.

Local authorities say they are coordinating with major hospitals in Gwangju to handle potential casualties.

The crash presents the first major test for the acting president, Choi Sang-mok, who assumed office on Friday after South Korea’s parliament voted to impeach the previous acting president, Han Duck-soo.

Han had been serving as interim leader following the impeachment of then president Yoon Suk Yeol earlier this month over his controversial martial law declaration. The short-lived declaration has roiled the country, with mass protests on Saturday calling for Yoon’s removal.

Among the 175 passengers aboard the flight from Bangkok, officials say 173 were Korean nationals and two were Thai nationals. There were six crew members.

The National Fire Agency sayst the initial fire was brought under control at 9.46am, 43 minutes after the first emergency call was received at 9.03am.