00:00The Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 pilot declared a May Day after reporting a bird strike moments
00:09before the aircraft crashed, South Korea's Transport Ministry confirmed on Monday.
00:14The
00:38Jeju Air Boeing, carrying 175 passengers and six crew members, belly landed and
00:44skidded off the runway at Muan International Airport, erupting into a fireball upon striking
00:49a wall.
00:51All but two on board were killed.
00:54Two flight attendants survived the crash and are being treated at local hospitals.
00:58Investigators are examining whether the localizer antenna, positioned on an embankment at the
01:04end of the runway to assist in landings, contributed to the accident.
01:08The crash claimed the lives of 179 people, including mostly residents of the Geola region,
01:15returning from vacations in Thailand and two Thai nationals.
01:19As of Monday morning, authorities had identified 141 victims, with DNA testing underway to
01:26confirm the identities of those severely burned in the explosion.
01:30The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reported that 165 bodies have been moved to
01:37a temporary mortuary at the airport in South Geola province.
01:41Families will be notified as identities are confirmed and autopsies are completed.
01:47Jeju Air Flight 7C-2216 crash-landed at around 9 a.m. on Sunday, failing to deploy its landing
01:54gear for reasons yet to be determined.
01:57The explosion and fire from the crash make it difficult to identify some passengers,
02:02and officials are using family DNA for confirmation.
02:05In response to the tragedy, South Korea's acting president, Choi Sang-mok, declared
02:10the crash site a special disaster zone.
02:23He visited the site, offered condolences to victims' families, and pledged full government
02:28support for recovery efforts.
02:31A seven-day national mourning period has been declared, lasting until midnight on Jan. 4.
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