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Questions over airport embankment, bird strikes as South Korea air crash probed
Published on 01/01/2025 03:09
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SEOUL  — Questions grew today over the crash of a Jeju Air jetliner as police rushed to identify victims and as families of those killed in the deadliest plane crash on South Korean soil pressed authorities for more information.

The National Police Agency said it is making all-out efforts by adding personnel and rapid DNA analysers to hasten the identification of the five bodies still unidentified as today.

Family members gathered at the country’s Muan International Airport, where the crash occurred, have pushed for faster identification and more information from authorities.

All 175 passengers and four of the six crew were killed when a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 belly-landed and skidded off the end of the runway, erupting in a fireball as it slammed into a wall. Two crew members were pulled out alive.

South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok yesterday ordered an emergency safety inspection of the country’s entire airline operation as investigators sought to find out what caused the deadliest air disaster on South Korean soil.

The Transportation Ministry said a “Black Box” flight recorder recovered from the crash site was missing key pieces and authorities were reviewing how to extract its data.

Inspections of all 101 B737-800s operated by South Korean airlines was scheduled to be completed by Jan. 3, while the airport would now remain closed until Jan. 7, the Transport Ministry added.

The NTSB said in a statement it sent three investigators including people with specialties in operational factors and airworthiness to South Korea to assist the investigation.

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