<p>A passenger plane carrying 181 people crashed while landing at an airport in southwestern South Korea on Sunday. Officials said most of the people on board were presumed dead, even as two survivors were found and search efforts continued.</p><p>Jeju Air's Boeing 737-800 aircraft was landing at Muan International Airport when the crash took place. Footage of the accident shows a white-and-orange plane speeding down a runway on its belly until it overshoots the runway, hitting a barrier and exploding into an orange fireball.</p><p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/world/south-korea-plane-crash-death-toll-live-updates-jeju-air-plane-175-passengers-six-crew-on-a-flight-muan-airport-news-3335230">Check live updates on South Korea plane crash</a></p><p>The cause of the accident was not immediately clear. Officials were investigating what caused the plane to crash land, including the possibility of a bird strike leading to a landing gear malfunction, said Ju Jong-wan, a director of aviation policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.</p><p>As of Sunday afternoon, at least 150 people had been found dead, according to reports. At least two crew members had been rescued from the tail section of the aircraft, and rescuers continued searching through the wreckage. Lee Jeong-hyeon, an official in charge of search and rescue operations at the scene, said the plane had broken into so many pieces that only its tail was identifiable.</p>.Putin apologises but stops short of taking responsibility for Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash.<p>The crash on Sunday appears to have been the first fatal one for Jeju Air, a low-cost South Korean carrier that was established in 2005 and flies to dozens of countries in Asia.</p><p><strong>Jeju Air CEO apologises</strong></p><p>The CEO of Jeju Air, Kim E-bae apologised to the victim, adding that supporting the bereaved was a top priority for now.</p>.Kazakhstan plane crash: People on crashed jet say they heard bangs before it went down.<p>“First, we bow our heads in apology to everyone who has trusted Jeju Air. Above all, we express our deepest condolences and apologies to the families of the passengers who lost their lives in this accident. At present, the cause of the accident is difficult to determine, and we must await the official investigation results from the relevant government agencies," he said in a statement.</p><p>"Regardless of the cause, as CEO, I feel profound responsibility for this incident. Jeju Air will do everything possible to promtly manage this accident and support the families of those aboard. We will also do our utmost to determine the cause of the accident in cooperation with the government. Once again, we pray for those who lost their lives in this accident and offer our deepest apologies to their bereaved families," he added.</p><p><strong>Boeing offers condolences</strong></p><p>Aerospace company Boeing offered condolences and said it is in touch with South Korea's Jeju Air. “We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding flight 2216 and stand ready to support them. We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew,” Boeing said in its statement.</p><p><em>(With NYT and Reuters inputs)</em></p>
<p>A passenger plane carrying 181 people crashed while landing at an airport in southwestern South Korea on Sunday. Officials said most of the people on board were presumed dead, even as two survivors were found and search efforts continued.</p><p>Jeju Air's Boeing 737-800 aircraft was landing at Muan International Airport when the crash took place. Footage of the accident shows a white-and-orange plane speeding down a runway on its belly until it overshoots the runway, hitting a barrier and exploding into an orange fireball.</p><p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/world/south-korea-plane-crash-death-toll-live-updates-jeju-air-plane-175-passengers-six-crew-on-a-flight-muan-airport-news-3335230">Check live updates on South Korea plane crash</a></p><p>The cause of the accident was not immediately clear. Officials were investigating what caused the plane to crash land, including the possibility of a bird strike leading to a landing gear malfunction, said Ju Jong-wan, a director of aviation policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.</p><p>As of Sunday afternoon, at least 150 people had been found dead, according to reports. At least two crew members had been rescued from the tail section of the aircraft, and rescuers continued searching through the wreckage. Lee Jeong-hyeon, an official in charge of search and rescue operations at the scene, said the plane had broken into so many pieces that only its tail was identifiable.</p>.Putin apologises but stops short of taking responsibility for Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash.<p>The crash on Sunday appears to have been the first fatal one for Jeju Air, a low-cost South Korean carrier that was established in 2005 and flies to dozens of countries in Asia.</p><p><strong>Jeju Air CEO apologises</strong></p><p>The CEO of Jeju Air, Kim E-bae apologised to the victim, adding that supporting the bereaved was a top priority for now.</p>.Kazakhstan plane crash: People on crashed jet say they heard bangs before it went down.<p>“First, we bow our heads in apology to everyone who has trusted Jeju Air. Above all, we express our deepest condolences and apologies to the families of the passengers who lost their lives in this accident. At present, the cause of the accident is difficult to determine, and we must await the official investigation results from the relevant government agencies," he said in a statement.</p><p>"Regardless of the cause, as CEO, I feel profound responsibility for this incident. Jeju Air will do everything possible to promtly manage this accident and support the families of those aboard. We will also do our utmost to determine the cause of the accident in cooperation with the government. Once again, we pray for those who lost their lives in this accident and offer our deepest apologies to their bereaved families," he added.</p><p><strong>Boeing offers condolences</strong></p><p>Aerospace company Boeing offered condolences and said it is in touch with South Korea's Jeju Air. “We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding flight 2216 and stand ready to support them. We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew,” Boeing said in its statement.</p><p><em>(With NYT and Reuters inputs)</em></p>
