Family members of plane crash victims speak out as 179 out of 181 people are confirmed dead

Warning: This article contains graphic images, video and description which some readers may find distressing

A devastating plane crash in South Korea left 179 out of 181 onboard dead and some of the victims' loved ones are speaking out.

Earlier today (December 29) shortly after 9:00 am local time, a Jeju Air Flight 2216 - a Boeing 737-800 passenger aircraft - tried to land at Muan International Airport in Muan County, South Korea after taking off from Suvarnabhumi Airport near Bangkok, Thailand at around 2:00 am local time.

The aircraft ended up crashing following an emergency landing, killing 179 out of 181 onboard.

Harrowing footage from the airport shows the moment the passenger plane attempts to land on the runway, with it ending up skidding across and colliding with a wall, later bursting into smoke and flames.

It's reported the front landing gear of the plane failed to deploy, forcing the pilot to make a crash landing.

Director of the Aviation Policy Division at South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Joo Jong-wan said, as per NBC News, the pilot 'declared mayday after issuing the bird strike alert'.

An investigation into the tragedy is still underway, with the crash marking South Korea's worst domestic civil aviation disaster in history.

At the time of writing, recovery efforts are ongoing and the BBC quotes Yonhap news agency as stating the runway will remain closed until New Year's Day as teams analyse the wreckage.

Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 flight crashed on the morning of December 29 ( JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images)

It's reported the crash has taken the lives of 179 people out of the 181 passengers and members of crew onboard. The two survivors were rushed to hospital and now, loved ones of some of the victims have spoken out.

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 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.

Recovery efforts are ongoing (JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images)

The government of South Korea has announced a national mourning period of seven days.

In a statement, Boeing said: "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."

Jeju Air has a 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."

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.