South Korea Orders Air Safety Probe After Country's Worst Crash

South Korea's Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Dec 30 ordered an emergency safety inspection of the country's entire airline operation system, as investigators worked to find out what caused the country's deadliest air disaster and identify victims.

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SEOUL - South Korea's Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Dec 30 ordered an emergency safety inspection of the country's entire airline operation system, as investigators worked to find out what caused the country's deadliest air disaster and identify victims.

All 175 passengers and four of the six crew were killed when a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 belly-landed and skidded off the end of the runway at Muan International Airport in South Korea, erupting in a fireball as it slammed into a wall. Two crew members were pulled out alive.

The top priority for now is identifying the victims, supporting their families and treating the two survivors, Mr Choi told a disaster management meeting in Seoul.

"Even before the final results are out, we ask that officials transparently disclose the accident investigation process and promptly inform the bereaved families," he said.

"As soon as the accident recovery is conducted, the Transport Ministry is requested to conduct an emergency safety inspection of the entire aircraft operation system to prevent recurrence of aircraft accidents."

As a first step, the Transport Ministry announced plans to conduct a special inspection of all 101 Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by South Korean airlines beginning on Dec 30, focusing on the maintenance record of key components.

Jeju Air Flight 2216, arriving from the Thai capital Bangkok with 175 passengers and six crew on board, was trying to land shortly after 9am on Dec 29 at the airport in the south of the country.