Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae issued an apology on Sunday and extended condolences to the family members of those who were killed in a deadly plane crash earlier in the day.
At least 167 people have been killed with the death toll expected to rise as Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 aircraft from Thailand skidded off the runway at Muan International Airport and rammed into a wall bursting into flames.
The CEO vowed to provide all necessary support to the victims' families. "Regardless of the cause, I take full responsibility as the CEO," Kim said, reported Yonhap news agency.
The mishap is believed to have happened due to an air strike and adverse weather conditions flinging passengers out of the plane and leaving it "almost completely destroyed."
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"Passengers were ejected from the aircraft after it collided with the wall, leaving little chance of survival," said a local fire official during a briefing to the families, according to a statement released by the fire brigade, reported AFP.
"The plane is almost completely destroyed, and identifying the deceased is proving difficult. The process is taking time as we locate and recover the remains," he was quoted as saying.
Only two people survived the crash who were rescued, both flight attendants and 167 people were confirmed dead. The accident took place at around 9:03 am (local time) during the landing of the flight at Muan airport, some 288 kilometres southwest of Seoul, with 175 passengers, including two Thai nationals, and six crew onboard, said the Ministry of Land in a statement.
A temporary morgue has been set up at the airport to lay the bodies of the victims.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok, declared Muan county as a special disaster zone as he visited the crash site and instructed officials to make all-out efforts for search operations.