- Authorities intensifies investigation
South Korea authorities intensified their investigation into the fatal crash of a Boeing 737-800 that claimed 179 lives by raiding the offices of Jeju Air and Muan International Airport on Thursday.
The flight, carrying 181 passengers and crew from Thailand to South Korea, issued a mayday call before belly-landing and colliding with a barrier on Sunday. Only two flight attendants survived the tragedy.
Investigators conducted search and seizure operations at the crash site, a regional aviation office in southwestern South Korea, and Jeju Air’s Seoul office, police confirmed. Jeju Air’s CEO, Kim E-bae, has been banned from leaving the country as the investigation progresses.
“The police plan to swiftly and rigorously determine the cause and responsibility for this accident in accordance with the law and principles,” authorities said in a statement to AFP.
On Thursday, soldiers, police, and forensic investigators continued combing the crash site while Buddhist monks in orange robes performed prayer ceremonies nearby. Inside the airport, mourners left colorful post-it notes on staircases, expressing grief and love for the victims.
One note read, “Honey, I miss you way too much.” Another said, “Even if you faced lonely and painful moments in death, may you now soar like a butterfly.”
Relatives gathered near the crash site, leaving flowers and traditional rice cake soup, tteokguk, as they bade tearful farewells.
Notably, chefs from Netflix’s hit show Culinary Class Wars, including Ahn Yu-seong, joined volunteers to prepare meals for the victims’ families. Across South Korea, people prepaid for coffee at the airport café, ensuring free drinks for grieving relatives waiting for updates.
The land ministry announced more bodies were released to families for funeral preparations.
South Korea: Crash Investigation
Initial investigations suggested a bird strike as a possible cause, but attention has shifted to a concrete barrier at the end of the runway. Dramatic video captured the plane hitting the structure before erupting in flames.
Yonhap reported that police are investigating charges of professional negligence resulting in death.
Authorities are examining the legitimacy of the barrier, which houses an antenna array, and securing communication records between the control tower and the pilot before the crash.
Airports nationwide are now undergoing inspections to evaluate similar installations. Experts have speculated that if the barrier had not been made of concrete, the crash might have been less catastrophic.
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