South Korean police on Thursday raided the offices of Jeju Air and the operator of Muan International Airport as a part of an investigation into the fatal crash of a Boeing 737-800 plane that killed 179 people.
The plane was carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea on Sunday when it issued a mayday, landed on its belly before hitting a barrier, killing everyone on board except two flight attendants who were pulled from the burning wreckage.
Authorities conducted searches and seizures at Muan Airport, where Flight 2216 crashed, on the regional aviation office in the southwestern city, and at Jeju Air’s office in the capital Seoul.
Since the crash, South Korean and U.S. investigators, including Boeing, have been combing the crash site to find out the cause. Both black boxes have been found and work on decoding is ongoing.
“In connection with the aircraft accident… a search and seizure operation has been carried out in three locations since 9:00 GMT on January 2,” police said in a statement sent to AFP.
“Police plan to quickly and rigorously establish the cause and responsibility for this accident, in accordance with the law and policy.”
Police told AFP that a search warrant had been issued, and Yonhap said it was issued on charges of skilled negligence resulting in death, citing officials.
South Korea also announced it will inspect all Boeing 737-800 planes operated by its carriers, specializing in the landing gear that appears to have failed in Sunday’s crash.
South Korea’s acting president Choi Sang-mok said on Thursday that “immediate action” ought to be taken if an investigation finds any problems with the plane model.
Authorities previously said that 101 planes of the identical model were utilized by six different airlines.
“Since there is great public concern about the same aircraft model involved in the accident, the Ministry of Transportation and relevant agencies must conduct a thorough inspection of operational maintenance, education and training,” Choi said on Thursday.
“If any irregularities are detected during the inspection, we ask that corrective actions be taken immediately,” he added.
The accident is the worst-ever air disaster to have occurred on South Korean soil.
South Korean authorities accomplished the initial extraction of knowledge from the cockpit voice recorder, however the flight data recorder was damaged and was to be sent to the United States for evaluation, officials said Wednesday.
Officials initially cited a bird strike as a possible reason behind the crash and say the probe has since also examined a concrete barrier at the tip of the runway.
Dramatic video showed the plane colliding with him after which bursting into flames.
The land ministry said in a statement that the country’s airports are also being inspected “to assess the location of installations” across the runways.
As the investigation continued, families went to the crash site for the primary time on Wednesday to pay their respects, and a few returned the following day with boxes to gather their family members’ belongings.
At the airport on Thursday, a monk led prayers near the crash site, while on the airport the steps were covered with colourful Post-it notes left by mourners.
“Baby, I miss you too much,” one in every of them said.
“Even if you experienced lonely and painful moments after death, may you now soar like a butterfly,” reads one other.
Relatives also left flowers and food near the scene, including tteokguk – a rice cake soup traditionally served in South Korea on New Year’s Day – as they said their goodbyes, many with tears in their eyes.
Local media reported a handwritten note, apparently written by the pilot’s brother, that was placed next to gimbap – a popular Korean dish – and a cup of drink near the crash site.
“It breaks my heart to think of the struggles you faced alone (in your final moments),” it wrote.
“You were truly amazing and did great, so I hope you discover happiness in a warm place now. Thank you and I’m sorry.”
On Wednesday – a public holiday in the south – hundreds of people lined up to pay their respects at a memorial altar set up at the airport to honor the victims.
So many people came to the monument that the queue stretched hundreds of meters, and the local mobile network was overloaded, local media report.
Other altars for the victims were set up throughout the country.
AFP
AFP
