179 passengers & crew presumed dead in Jeju Air crash at Muan airport

179 passengers and crew have been presumed dead following a plane crash at Muan International Airport in South Korea on Dec. 29, 2024, The Guardian reported.

Two survivors, one passenger and one crew member, were pulled from the tail section of the plane and are currently receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.

The Boeing 737 had 181 persons aboard, with six crew members and 175 passengers. At least two of the passengers were Thai nationals.

According to Korean media JoongAng Ilbo, if the death toll is confirmed, this would be the worst domestic civil aviation disaster in South Korea's history. 

Thus far, 85 deaths have been confirmed, Yonhap reported.

The Jeju Air flight, which was returning from Bangkok, Thailand, veered off the runway and collided with a fence.

According to The Guardian, the landing gear of the plane had failed to deploy, leading to the plane attempting a belly landing at around 9:03am local time.

Thai Prime Minister expressed condolences

Prime Minister of Thailand Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed her condolences via X:

"I would like to express my condolences to the families of the deceased and injured.

I have ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to urgently investigate whether there are any Thai passengers on this plane and what the current situation is. I have ordered immediate assistance.

If there are Thai passengers, please contact their families to inform them of the progress and have the Ministry of Foreign Affairs report the situation at all times."

Top photo from sentdefender/X.