Thai Authorities "Confirming Identity and Situation of Two Thais"

Regarding the tragedy in which a Jeju Air passenger plane from Bangkok, Thailand, collided and caught fire while landing at Muan International Airport, resulting in the deaths of most passengers, Thai authorities are also confirming the identities of two Thai passengers.

Firefighters are clearing debris at the runway accident site of Muan International Airport in Jeonnam on the 29th, where a Jeju Air passenger plane carrying 181 passengers collided with the outer wall of the runway during landing, causing a fire and resulting in a major disaster with most passengers dead. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

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On the 29th (local time), according to local media such as Thai PBS and The Nation, the Royal Thai Embassy in Korea reported to the home country that two Thai nationals were on board Jeju Air flight 7C2216 involved in the accident. The Korea Fire Agency announced that a total of 181 people were on board the aircraft, including 175 passengers and 6 crew members, and provisionally classified 173 passengers as Korean and 2 as Thai.

In this regard, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the identities and conditions of the two Thai passengers have not yet been confirmed, and that the Thai Embassy is cooperating with Korean authorities to verify their status. The embassy also added that it is closely monitoring the situation and will promptly inform of any developments if necessary.

Earlier that day, at around 9:03 a.m., a report was received that Jeju Air flight 7C2216, a Boeing 737-800 passenger plane from Bangkok, Thailand, had an accident while attempting to land on the runway at Muan International Airport. The aircraft, which attempted a belly landing due to landing gear failure, collided with the outer wall of the runway, broke in half, and was engulfed in flames. Except for two crew members rescued in the morning, most of the passengers are presumed dead. The Jeonnam Fire Headquarters held a briefing for the families of the passengers at the Muan Airport terminal that day, stating, "After colliding with the fence, passengers spilled out of the aircraft. The possibility of survival is almost none."

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