Investigators to begin looking into cause of South Korea plane crash that left 179 dead
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A team of US and South Korean investigators are to set to begin looking into the cause of the plane crash that left 179 people dead at Muan International Airport. The disaster on Sunday is the worst plane crash in South Korea's history - with the youngest victim a three-year-old boy, according to a list of passengers seen by local media outlets.
South Korea's transport ministry has said the pilot reported that his aircraft had suffered a bird strike as he called a mayday before the tragedy. The Jeju Air flight, a Boeing 737-800 jet, was carrying 175 passengers and six crew when it crashed at the airport in the south of the country after departing from Bangkok.
It was making a second attempt at a crash landing after its landing gear failed to open when it veered off a runway and struck a wall, bursting into flames. Two crew members who were at the rear of the plane when it came down were the only survivors. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player.
. Relatives of those who were on board have gathered at the airport to await confirmation of the death of their loved ones. Stillness and shock after South Korea's plane tragedy - but families' frustration is boiling over. South Korea plane crash: Pilot reported bird strike and declared mayday before jet went down.
South Korea: Expert says concrete wall plane crashed into is 'verging on criminal'. Many of the bodies can only be identified through DNA testing and fingerprints. Among those that have been already been identified are four bodies that will be released to funeral homes following consultations with their bereaved families, South Korea's ministry of land, infrastructure and transport (MOLIT) has said.
