King Charles pays tribute to victims of South Korea plane crash that took the lives of 179 people
Plane crash in South Korea
The King has paid tribute to the victims of a plane crash in South Korea which claimed the lives of 179 people.
“My wife and I were profoundly saddened to learn of the horrific air accident at Muan, which resulted in such grievous loss of life,” His Majesty said in a statement.
“As the people of the Republic of Korea mourn this disaster, the families and loved ones of all the victims are in our prayers.”
The crash on Sunday was the deadliest air accident even in South Korea, killing 179 people at Muan International Airport.
The King has paid tribute to the victims of a plane crash in South Korea
Getty
The devastating accident happened when Jeju Air flight 7C2216, flying in from Bangkok with 175 passengers and six crew members on board, belly-landed and skidded off the end of the runway, erupting into flames as it slammed into a wall.
The Boeing 737-800 was seen in a local media video sliding down the runway with no visible landing gear before crashing into navigation equipment and a wall, causing an explosion of flames and debris.
South Korea’s transport ministry said the attempted landing happened shortly after 9am at the airport in the south of the country.
"Only the tail part retains a little bit of shape, and the rest of (the plane) looks almost impossible to recognise," Muan fire chief Lee Jung-hyun said at a press briefing.
Two crew members survived and are being treated for medium to severe injuries.
The survivors, one man and one woman, were rescued from the tail section of the plane.
Authorities have searched nearby areas for bodies potentially thrown from the plane.
Investigations are taking place, looking at bird strikes and weather conditions as possible factors, fire chief Jung-hyun has said.
The survivors of the crash, one man and one woman, were rescued from the tail section of the plane
Reuters
The Yonhap news agency cited airport authorities as saying a bird strike may have caused the landing gear to malfunction.
Under global aviation sules, South Korea will lead a civil investigation into the crash, automatically involving the National Transportation Safety Board in the USA where the plane was made.
Boeing said in a statement: "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."
The deadliest accident on South Korean soil was also the worst in almost three decades involving a South Korean airline.
The previous deadly accident involving a Korean airline was in 1997, when a Korean Air crash in Guam killed over 200 people.
The previous worst on Korean soil was an Air China crash in 2002 killing 129 people.
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