Lammy offers condolences after plane crash in South Korea kills at least 177
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Foreign Secretary David Lammy has paid his “heartfelt condolences” to the people of South Korea and Thailand after a plane crash killed at least 177. The Jeju Air passenger plane was carrying 181 people when it skidded off a runway at Muan International Airport in South Korea, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into flames after its front landing gear apparently failed to deploy, officials said.
The country’s national fire agency said 84 women, 82 men and 11 others whose genders were not immediately identifiable died in the fire at the airport in the town of Muan, about 180 miles south of Seoul. The plane was a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet that was returning from Bangkok and the crash happened at 9.03am local time, the transport ministry reported.
Mr Lammy posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday morning: “Deeply saddened by news of the plane crash overnight in South Korea. “My heartfelt condolences go out to the people of South Korea and Thailand, and all those that have lost loved ones.”.
The death toll is expected to rise as the rest of those on board the plane remain missing about six hours after the incident. Emergency workers pulled two people, both crew members, to safety and local health officials said they remain conscious. Footage of the crash aired by YTN television showed the plane skidding across the airstrip, apparently with its landing gear still closed, and colliding head-on with a concrete wall on the outskirts of the facility.
