“Passengers were ejected from the aircraft after it collided with the wall, leaving little chance of survival,” a local fire official told families at a briefing, according to a statement released by the fire brigade.
“The plane is almost completely destroyed, and identifying the deceased is proving difficult. The process is taking time as we locate and recover the remains,” he was quoted as saying.
Only two people were rescued, both flight attendants, and 124 people were confirmed dead by mid-afternoon, the fire department said in a statement.
An AFP photographer saw the burned-out wreckage of the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the runway at Muan – some 288km southwest of Seoul – as firefighters and emergency vehicles worked nearby.
“MAYDAY”
The accident took place in a matter of minutes on Sunday, the Ministry of Land said, with 175 passengers, including two Thai nationals, and six crew on board.
“It took approximately three minutes from the control tower’s mention of a bird strike warning to the aircraft’s attempt to land on the runway again,” it said.
Two minutes before the crash, the pilot issued a Mayday call, it added.
When asked if the accident happened due to the runway being too short – video shows the plane coming off the tarmac and hitting a wall – the official said this was likely not a factor.
“The runway is 2,800m long, and similar-sized aircraft have been operating on it without issues,” they said.
“It is unlikely that the accident was caused by the length of the runway.”
Lee Jeong-hyun, chief of Muan fire station, said during a briefing that the cause was “presumed to be a bird strike combined with adverse weather conditions”.
“However, the exact cause will be announced following a joint investigation,” Lee said.
Authorities said families were waiting at the first floor of the Muan airport. Many were seen crying in despair as they heard the news.
Low-cost carrier Jeju Air apologised and vowed to do all it could to help.
“We sincerely apologise for causing concern,” the airline said in a statement posted on its social media channels.
Boeing said in a statement that it was in touch with Jeju Air and stood “ready to support them”.
