180 Dead as Plane Crashes at South Korean Airport, Killing 179 Passengers and Crew

Seoul, South Korea - A plane carrying 181 people crashed at Muan International Airport on Sunday, killing 179 passengers and crew members.

The Boeing 737-800, which was operated by the budget airline Jeju Air, overshot a runway before bursting into flames. The incident occurred during a takeoff attempt at 9:03 am local time.

Video footage shows the plane speeding down the runway with smoke coming from its belly before crashing into what appeared to be a barrier. The plane's landing gear was not deployed.

"It's possible that the bird strike prevented the standard landing gear operation," said aviation expert Geoffrey Thomas, adding that the pilots might have been unable to manually deploy the landing gear due to potential engine failures.

The crash is the first fatal incident involving Jeju Air since its founding in 2005. The total number of deaths has risen after two crew members were rescued from the tail section of the plane.

According to officials, a bird strike may have caused the mechanical issue that led to the crash. Transport ministry officials said they are investigating what occurred.

The damaged flight data recorder could delay the investigation, which is expected to take several months or years to complete.

South Korea's President Choi Sang-mok declared martial law just two days into his second successor's tenure.

This incident has brought attention to South Korea's avian-related crash statistics, with Muan International Airport reporting the highest rate of bird strike incidents among 14 nationwide.