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‘Deeply saddened’: India's message for families of South Korea plane crash victims
South Korean fire department officials confirmed that 176 passengers out of 181 died in the Jeju airlines flight that crashed in Muan.
India on Sunday said it was “deeply saddened” to learn about the plane crash in South Korea's Muan city that killed at least 176 people so far.
“Deeply saddened to learn of the tragic plane crash at Muan airport today. We extend our heartfelt condolences to bereaved family members. The Indian Embassy stands in solidarity with the people & government of RoK in this difficult hour,” said Amit Kumar, India's ambassador to Seoul in a post on X.
Also read | South Korea plane crash live updates
How South Korea plane crashed?
A passenger plane, a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet that was returning from Bangkok, lost control during landing when its landing gear reportedly failed to deploy. The plane skidded off the runway, slammed into the concrete fence and burst into flames.
Footage of the crash shows the plane's landing gear still closed while it attempted to land on the runway. The impact of collision on the wall triggered an explosion and the plane was engulfed in flames.
South Korea's fire agency said that at least 176 people, including 83 women, 82 men and 11 others whose genders weren’t immediately identifiable, died so far.
Also read | Bird hit, belly landing, explosion: How South Korea plane crash happened
Tragedy amid political crises
The plane tragedy comes amid the country's political crisis triggered by now impeached president Yoon's imposition of a martial law.
South Korea's acting president Choi Sang-mok, held an emergency meeting with cabinet members to discuss rescue operations.
“The entire government is working closely together to manage the aftermath of the accident, dedicating all available resources, while making every effort to ensure thorough support for the bereaved families,” said Choi.
Also read | Passenger’s chilling final message before horrifying South Korea plane crash revealed
“I believe no words of consolation would suffice for the bereaved families who have suffered this tragedy,” he added.
Yoon's ruling People Power party announced the formation of a task force to investigate the crash and support families mourning the loss of their loved ones. Kweon Seong-dong, the party leader, promised to visit the crash site on Monday with task force members to “review accident response measures and prevention strategies”.
The opposition Democratic party leader, Lee Jae-myung, has departed for Muan and plans to stay indefinitely to support rescue efforts. The party has formed an emergency response committee led by Joo Cheol-hyeon, the head of its South Jeolla unit.
(With inputs from AP)
