Families are mourning the loss of loved ones after Jeju Air flight 2216 crashed at South Korea's Muan International Airport on Sunday, leaving 179 people dead. The crash was the deadliest to ever occur on South Korean soil and has left the nation in shock. Officials are continuing to identify remains and investigate the cause of the crash, including possible landing gear malfunction and bird strike.
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00:00Heavy with grief, 71-year-old Jun Jae-young is mourning the loss of his daughter, among
00:08the 179 confirmed dead on board Jeju Air Flight 2216 that crashed in South Korea's Muan International
00:15Airport in the country's southwest.
00:19I can't believe my 40-something-year-old daughter passed away like this.
00:39The Boeing 737 jet had traveled from the Thai capital, Bangkok.
00:43Footage shows the aircraft veering down the runway and crashing into a wall, before exploding
00:48upon collision.
00:50Officials have been investigating the cause of the crash, including landing gear malfunctions
00:55and possible bird strikes.
00:57The airport is on the path of migratory birds and has the highest rate of bird strikes in
01:02the country.
01:14The runway here is also known to be almost a
01:22kilometer shorter than most international airports, and ongoing construction to lengthen
01:27it has been pointed out a potential obstruction during emergencies.
01:32But the transport ministry has downplayed this.
01:35Out of the 175 passengers and six crew on board, only two survivors, both crew members,
01:41were rescued from the tail of the plane.
01:44Jeju Airline executives and government officials have come out to offer condolences to the
01:49victims' families.
01:50I would like to express my deepest condolences and comfort to the families of the victims
01:56who were killed in the accident.
01:59I am deeply sorry and sorry for the government's actions, which are responsible for the safety
02:05and life of the people.
02:08This crash is the deadliest ever on South Korean soil, and comes at a time of deep political
02:14turmoil just weeks after President Yoon Suk-kyo's brief imposition of martial law and his subsequent
02:20impeachment.
02:21There's a leadership vacuum at the airport, too, with its management group lacking a CEO
02:26since April, some saying this has contributed to procedural lapses.
02:32For those here now who had been eager to welcome their loved ones, the authorities have handed
02:36out DNA test kits to help in identifying remains.
02:40Now, the weight they face is agonizing, hoping for answers in the midst of mourning.
02:48Hank Hsu and Wesley Lewis for Taiwan Plus.
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