179 people died in the Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea

All passengers and most of the crew on a Jeju Air flight died after the plane landed at an airport in South Korea on Sunday.

A total of 179 out of 181 people on board the Boeing 737-800 were killed, with only two survivors, both cabin staff, being pulled out of the burning wreckage.

The plane landed at Muan International Airport in the south of the country, skidded off the runway and crashed into a wall in a violent explosion.

Flight 2216 was returning from Bangkok, Thailand with 6 crew and 175 passengers, many of whom were tourists.

Devastated families gathered in the airport’s arrivals hall in tears as they waited for the bodies to be identified.

Some of those killed could only be identified by fingerprints.

Maeng Gi-su, 78, told the BBC that his nephew and his nephew’s two sons were on the plane.

This is the family’s first trip abroad to mark the youngest son’s completion of the university entrance exam.

“I can’t believe my whole family just disappeared. My heart hurts so much,” he said.

The passengers included 173 Koreans and 2 Thais. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported they ranged in age from 3 to 78, although most were in their 40s, 50s and 60s.

Footage shared of the crash – which happened shortly after 09:00 local time (00:00 GMT) – shows the plane landing without wheels, skidding off the runway and crashing into the airport’s boundary wall first when exploded.

An investigation into the cause is underway. There were no initial reports of aircraft or maintenance problems on takeoff.

South Korean transport officials said the plane had difficulty landing – with the pilot, who had more than 6,800 hours of flying experience – having to pull out of the first attempt due to bird obstruction.

Immediately afterward, the pilot issued an emergency call and made an emergency landing attempt.

Local media reported that the problem with the landing gear may have arisen from birds becoming entangled in the plane’s systems.

South Korean news agency News1 said a passenger sent a text message to relatives saying there was a bird stuck on the plane’s wing.

The disaster is a national tragedy for South Korea, which is embroiled in a political crisis after President Yoon and his interim successor were both impeached by parliament.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok, who was appointed on Friday, visited the crash scene on Sunday.

“I express my deepest condolences to the many victims in the incident. I will do everything I can for the injured to recover quickly,” Choi said.

South Korean airlines are generally considered “industry best practices” with good safety records, analysts said.

The Jeju Air crash was the worst for any South Korean airline since the 1997 Korean Air crash in Guam that killed more than 200 people. Before Sunday, the most serious accident on Korean soil was an Air China flight that killed 129 people.

The accident at Muan Airport also marked the first fatal accident of Jeju Air, one of Korea’s largest low-cost airlines founded in 2005.

Jeju Air’s bosses bowed deeply as they issued a public apology at a press conference on Sunday.

“We deeply apologize to everyone affected by the incident,” the company said in a statement. We will do our best to resolve the situation.”

Boeing Airlines, which makes the 737-800 jet, said it was in contact with the airline.