The News
A plane crash in South Korea killed 179 people, with only two survivors rescued from the crash site at Muan airport, officials said.
The Jeju Air aircraft — a Boeing 737-800 that had taken off from Bangkok — may have suffered from a landing gear failure, and a bird strike may have also been involved, local fire officials and aviation experts said.
A Jeju Air executive told local media the plane had no known maintenance issues, but promised a full investigation. Officials have warned that could take years. The crash is South Korea’s worst air accident since a 1997 Korean Air crash in Guam that killed more than 200 people.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok, who is two days into the job, declared a week-long mourning period. Choi now faces the test of unifying the country amid the political upheaval triggered by impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol’s attempt to impose martial law earlier this month.