Authorities in South Korea have confirmed the identities of all 179 victims of the recent Jeju Air crash, including entire families and a young child. The tragic incident occurred on Sunday at Muan International Airport, leaving only two crew members as survivors.
The Boeing 737-800, arriving from Bangkok, crash-landed on its belly and collided with a concrete fence before bursting into flames. This resulted in the loss of all passengers, among them, some families traveling together for the holidays, and a three year old child.
Forensic investigators worked diligently to identify the victims, facing challenges due to the severity of the damage to the bodies. A man who did not tell his family of his travels was among those identified, according to news sources. Families of the victims waited at the airport for days.
As the identification process concludes, attention now shifts to understanding the cause of the crash. Eleven bodies have been released to families, and authorities allowed families to visit the crash site. The accident prompted an international response, with American investigators joining the probe on Tuesday.
The flight data recorder, or black box, from the aircraft, will be sent to the United States for analysis, as per the Associated Press. The South Korean Transport Ministry has recovered data from a second black box, which contained audio from the cockpit, also part of the continuing investigation into the incident.
