Warning: This article contains graphic images, video and description which some readers may find distressing
A passenger onboard the flight that crashed in South Korea sent a heartbreaking message moments before the fatal accident.
It has been confirmed that 179 out of a total of 181 people on board the Jeju Air Flight 2216 have been declared dead in what is South Korea's worst domestic civil aviation disaster ever.
A 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet crash landed at Muan International Airport, about 180 miles south of Seoul, at around 9:03am local time on Sunday (December 29).
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While it is not clear exactly what happened to cause the incident, it's reported that the front landing gear of the plane failed to deploy, forcing the pilot to make a crash landing.
Footage from the airport showed the plane skidding across the runway without its landing gear open before it collided with the wall and burst into flames.
Director of the Aviation Policy Division at South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Joo Jong-wan said, as per NBC News, that the pilot 'declared mayday after issuing the bird strike alert'.
It is also reported that the pilot was cleared to land from the opposite direction.
All of the plane's 175 passengers died in the crash, along with four members of crew.
Two flight staff have survived the incident and are in hospital being treated for their injuries. It is reported that they are conscious.
"I woke up and was rescued," one of the survivors, named Lee, has said, according to the director of Seoul National University Hospital, where he is being treated.
According to local media in South Korea, one passenger onboard the flight sent a text to a family member, where they claimed a bird was 'stuck in the wing' which was supposedly stopping the plane from landing.
"Should I leave my last words," the passenger allegedly wrote. After this message, the relative said that they did not hear from the passenger again.
Devastated family members have been speaking out following the crash.
Maeng Gi-su's nephew and his nephew's two sons had been onboard the flight, returning from a holiday in celebration of the youngest son's college entrance exams being over.
The 78-year-old told the BBC: "I can’t believe the entire family has just disappeared. My heart aches so much."
A cousin of another passenger onboard the flight told the BBC that she had 'goosebumps' when she heard of the crash.
"I couldn’t believe it… when the news said one of the victims was from Udon Thani, I was even more surprised." she said.
The government of South Korea has announced a national mourning period of seven days.
Jeju Air has a black banner at the top of its website which reads: "We deeply apologize to all those affected by the incident. We will make every effort to resolve the situation.
"We sincerely regret the distress caused."
Topics: News, Travel, World News, Jeju Air
Lucy Devine