179 dead in South Korea's worst plane crash in years [View all]

Source: CNN

Scores of people died when a passenger jet crash-landed in South Korea on Sunday. Two crew members were the only survivors after the plane, which was carrying 181 people, landed on its belly, skidded off a runway and burst into flames, officials said. The aviation disaster is South Korea’s deadliest in more than two decades.

• Local fire officials and aviation experts say some sort of landing gear malfunction was likely. The pilot also made a mayday call shortly after the control tower warned about birds in the area. The crash investigation could take years, and experts have urged local officials not to speculate on its cause.

• The plane, listed as a Boeing 737-800 on FlightAware, had traveled from Bangkok, Thailand. Analysts say both the Boeing 787-800 and Jeju Air, South Korea’s largest low-cost airline, have a strong safety record. There have been harrowing scenes inside Muan International Airport, where relatives are demanding answers from officials.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/south-korea-plane-crash-12-29-24-intl-hnk/index.html