MUAN: Police intensified their investigation into South Korea's deadliest aviation disaster by raiding multiple locations on Thursday, including Muan International Airport and Jeju Air's office, following the tragic crash that claimed 179 lives. The operation, which also included the Muan office of the Busan Regional Office of Aviation, was conducted to gather evidence regarding potential professional negligence.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Jeonnam Provincial Police executed search and seizure operations at these sites after obtaining a search warrant on charges of professional negligence resulting in death. Investigators are focusing on the legitimacy of the airport's localizer, a critical navigational aid, and scrutinizing communication records between the control tower and the pilot immediately preceding the crash.
The disaster unfolded on Sunday when a Jeju Air flight from Bangkok crashed into the outer wall of Muan International Airport during a belly landing. The plane, with its landing gear not deployed, skidded along the ground before colliding with a concrete wall and erupting into flames. This incident marks the most devastating aviation accident in South Korean history.
The airport control tower reportedly alerted the pilot to a potential bird strike just minutes before the crash, after which the pilot declared a mayday. The investigation will focus on assessing the emergency landing procedures and the actions taken by the airport's control tower personnel during the incident.
As of Wednesday, all 179 victims had been identified, and authorities are utilizing DNA analysis to confirm matches between victims and recovered remains. By Thursday morning, 24 victims had been returned to their families, and funeral services for 10 were in progress. Personal belongings recovered from the crash site are also being distributed to the victims' families.
In a show of national mourning, nearly 158,000 individuals visited memorial altars set up across the country to honor the victims. Meanwhile, the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board announced the completion of the data conversion from the plane's Cockpit Voice Recorder. The damaged Flight Data Recorder is slated for further analysis in the United States.