At least 179 people were killed yesterday morning when a commercial airliner crashed on landing at South Korea's Muan airport. Two people—both crew members working for operator Jeju Air—survived what is believed to be the worst air disaster in the country's history.
Early reports suggest the aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 en route from Bangkok, may have been struck by a bird, though it was unclear whether it was the engine or elsewhere, such as the cockpit window. The control tower received a mayday call from the pilots, and five minutes later the plane reached the runway—but failed to deploy its landing gear, sliding into an embankment before exploding (watch here, warning—sensitive content). Officials said it could take weeks to analyze the flight recorder.
The incident comes amid political turmoil in the country (see overview), initiated by a botched attempt by now-suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol to impose martial law earlier this month.
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