Families Cry and Demand Answers as They Learn Loved Ones Are Among 179 Victims Killed in South Korea Crash

Mar. 15, 2025

Family members of a victim of the Jeju Air plane crash grieve at a temporary shelter at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, 30 December 2024.Photo:HAN MYUNG-GU/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

HAN MYUNG-GU/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

It was an emotional scene at an airport in South Korea after179 people were killedin a plane crash.

Families wept and wailed as officials read off the names of the victims who died on Sunday, Dec. 29 at Muan International Airport, where the crash occurred, according toCNNandNBC News.

Only two people, a pair of flight attendants, are said to havesurvived the crash, which was flying in from Bangkok, Thailand.

Local police and firefighters said 181 people — 175 passengers and six crew members — were on the plane when it crashed, according to South Korean news agencyYonhapandCNN.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said 146 victims have been identified as of Monday, Dec. 30, according to CNN.

Some families could be seen consoling one another as the names of the identified victims were reportedly made in the airport’s departure hall. Others were seen yelling at officials and demanding answers.

The victims’ ages ranged from 3 to 78, though most of the victims were in their 40s, 50s and 60s, according toBBC News.

Maeng Gi-su’s nephew and his nephew’s two sons were killed in the crash after the trio celebrated the end of their college entrance exams in Thailand, the outlet reported.

“My heart aches so much,” he said.

Firefighters conduct search operations at the wreckage site of the Jeju Air aircraft at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, 30 December 2024.YONHAP/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

YONHAP/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Some families of the victims alleged Jeju Air is prioritizing “media damage control” instead of addressing their concerns, theBBC Newsreported.

The group reportedly also requested a memorial for the victims be set up on the first floor of the airport during a briefing on Monday.

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South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok has visited the crash site and declared a weeklong period of mourning following the fatal crash, according toUSA Today.

Joo Jong-wan, director of the Aviation Policy Division at South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said the pilot of the plane “declared mayday after issuing the bird strike alert” before the aircraft was “completely destroyed," NBC News reported.

An investigation into the crash is ongoing.

source: people.com