A plane crash in South Korea has left 96 people dead, with only two survivors rescued so far.
The Jeju Air flight, carrying 181 passengers and crew from Bangkok to South Korea, collided with a barrier and burst into flames upon landing at Muan International Airport on Sunday morning.
Authorities have cited a combination of bird strikes and adverse weather conditions as potential causes of the accident.
Fire officials described the scene as catastrophic, with passengers flung from the aircraft and the plane "almost completely destroyed".
Video footage shows the Boeing 737-8AS skidding off the runway without landing gear, emitting smoke from its engines before crashing into a wall and erupting in flames.
A local fire official stated, "Passengers were ejected from the aircraft after it collided with the barrier, leaving little chance of survival." Efforts to identify the deceased are ongoing, with officials acknowledging the complexity of the task due to the extent of the destruction.
The survivors, both flight attendants, were rescued from the rear section of the jet. Initial reports mistakenly identified one of the survivors as a passenger.
The plane crash occurred at 9.03am local time during the landing of Jeju Air Flight 2216.
The Ministry of Land confirmed that the fire was extinguished and that search and rescue operations are continuing.
More than 30 fire engines and scores of firefighters were dispatched to the site. Lee Jeong-hyun, chief of the Muan fire station, stated that the exact cause of the crash would be determined after a joint investigation.
Jeju Air, one of South Korea's largest low-cost carriers, issued an apology and pledged to support the affected families.
This is the first fatal incident in Jeju Air's history since its establishment in 2005.
While South Korea’s aviation sector is known for its strong safety record, the crash highlights the risks of bird strikes, leading to several global aviation disasters.
AFP/IOL News