South Korea authorities confirm official death toll has reached 179 and includes all the passengers on doomed crashed plane

Thank you for reading - this live blog has now closed.

Aviation experts say a bird strike should not have crippled the landing gear of the doomed plane that crashed in South Korea and killed 179 people.

The twin-engine Boeing 737-800 carrying 181 people is believed to have encountered a flock of birds as it came in to land at Muan International Airport this morning.

Unverified video footage reportedly of the aircraft shows a burst of fire coming out of the jet's right engine supposedly showing the moment the bird struck the plane.

Early theories had suggested it could have caused the budget airline's jet's landing gear to malfunction.

But experts have raised doubts with Australian airline safety expert Geoffrey Dell saying: 'I've never seen a bird strike prevent the landing gear from being extended.'

Read the fully story here:

Among the 179 bodies found so far, officials have identified 88 of them, the fire agency said.

Only two people - a male and female crew member - survived the disaster on a runway at Muan International Airport in South Korea earlier today.

Of those on board the doomed Jeju Air flight today, 82 were men and 93 were women, ranging in age from as young as three, a little boy, to 78-years-old.

Many passengers were reportedly in their 40s, 50s and 60s.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has showed his support by reposting Foreign Secretary David Lammy's post on the South Korea plane crash.

On social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Mr Lammy offered his 'heartfelt condolensnces' to the victims and families of the fatal aircraft smash, which claimed 179 lives.

Sir Keir reposted Mr Lammy's words, which read: 'Deeply saddened by news of the plane crash overnight in South Korea.

'My heartfelt condolences go out to the people of South Korea and Thailand, and all those that have lost loved ones.'

David Lammy offered his 'heartfelt condolences' to the victims of today's plane crash in South Korea, which killed 179 of 181 passengers.

Ju Woong, director of the Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital, where one of the survivors has been hospitalised, said the man, 33, was being treated in an intensive care unit for fractures to his ribs, shoulder blade and upper spine.

The director said the man told doctors he 'woke up to find (himself) rescued'.

Only two of 181 people on board the plane survived - a male and a female crew member. All passengers were killed.

The two Thai passengers on board the plane were among the fatalities, Thailand’s foreign ministry has said.

All passengers and four of six crew members were killed in today's plane crash - with 179 fatalities in total.

A devastated woman, 33, has said her sister was on the doomed Jeju Air flight that crashed on the runway this morning - with all passengers confirmed dead.

'My sister was on that plane,' she told South Korean outlet Yonhap. 'She’s had so many hardships and gone traveling because her situation was only just beginning to improve.'

Firefighters have continued working into the night at Muan International Airport in South Korea, after 179 people were confirmed dead and only two survived.

Horrific images show the aftermath of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft smash as it looks in the dark - after a devastating day of rescue efforts to recover bodies from the wreckage.

The family member of three of the victims of the South Korea plane crash said his 'heart aches so much' after all passengers on board were confirmed dead.

Maeng Gi-su, 78, told the BBC his nephew and his nephew’s two sons were on the doomed flight.

He said they had gone to celebrate the youngest taking his college entrance exams.

'I can’t believe the entire family has just disappeared. My heart aches so much', he said.

Firefighters and search dogs are at the scene where the Jeju Air passenger plane crashed and burst into flames at Muan International Airport this morning.

179 people of 181 on board have been confirmed dead - while two crew members were recovered from the back of the plane and taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

Five children, including a three-year-old boy, are the youngest victims of the horror plane crash in South Korea today.

The Juju Air flight from Thailand's capital Bangkok was attempting a belly landing when it skidded across the runway at Muan International Airport and smashed into a concrete wall.

Horrifying footage showed the budget airline's 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 being torn apart and bursting into a fireball, with 179 of 181 people on board killed.

Miraculously, two crew members - a man and woman - were pulled alive from the burning wreckage and have been taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

According to authorities, the youngest passenger was a three-year-old boy and the oldest was a 78-year-old.

Read the full story here:

The death toll has risen to 179 of 181 people on board - meaning everyone has now been recovered as two crew members were miraculously found alive earlier today.

All passengers were killed in the smash, while four crew members died and two were recovered and rushed to hospital.

The tragic death toll had been gradually rising throughout the day as search and rescue teams desperately pulled bodies from the wreckage.

'Of the 179 dead, 65 have been identified,' the country's fire agency just confirmed.

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft belonging to carrier Jeju Air crashed upon landing at Muan International Airport in South Korea this morning.

The passenger plane landed on the runway before smashing into a concrete wall and erupting into flames.

The two crew members - a man and woman - pulled from the wreckage alive had been sat at the back of the aircraft.

A Jeju Air plane flying from Bangkok to South Korea with 181 people on board crashed on landing today, leaving at least 177 dead.

Here's what we know so far:

• Youngest passenger to die is understood to have been a three-year-old boy
• The oldest passenger found dead was 78, according to authorities
• 177 people have been confirmed dead while two are still missing
• Two crew members miraculously recovered alive - one male and one female
• The two surviving crew members had been sat at the back of the plane
• Officials suspect tragedy caused by bird strike and adverse weather conditions
• The Boeing 737-800 aircraft belonging to carrier Jeju Air crashed upon landing
• Plane landed on runway before smashing into a wall and erupting into flames

Choi Sang-mok, South Korea’s acting president, said at a news conference that the country would observe a one week mourning period after today's fatal plane crash.

177 people have so far been confirmed dead after the smash on a runway at Muan International Airport. Two remain missing while two crew members, a man and a woman who were sat at the back of the plane, were recovered alive and rushed to hospital.

Firefighters and rescue personnel are still working near the scene where the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 series aircraft crashed and burst into flames at Muan International Airport today.

Two people still need to be recovered from the wreckage - with 177 of 181 people on board found dead and two crew members miraculously recovered alive earlier today.

A military medical helicopter has been pictured landing at Muan International Airport after today's plane crash in South Korea.

The tragedy has caimed at least 177 lives - with two people still missing and two rescued alive - making it the worst domestic passenger plane crash in the country's history.

Pope Francis has sent his prayers to victims of the plane crash in South Korea.

'My thoughts are with the many families in South Korea who are mourning today following the dramatic plane crash. I join in prayer for the survivors and the dead,' he said after the Angelus prayer.

177 people have so far been confirmed dead, while two are still missing and two crew members - a man and woman - miraculously survived.

Jeju Air has vowed to fully support the victims of today's plane crash and the grieving families left behind.

The crashed plane is covered by an insurance policy that can provide up to $1billion in compensation, the airline confirmed.

The airline said it has also arranged accommodation in South Jeolla to assist the families.

The youngest passenger was a three-year-old boy and the oldest was 78, according to authorities.

Five of the 177 confirmed dead were children under the age of 10, authorities said.

A Jeju Air plane flying from Bangkok to South Korea with 181 people on board crashed on landing today, leaving at least 177 dead.

Here's what we know so far:

• 177 people have been confirmed dead while two are still missing
• Two crew members miraculously recovered alive - one male and one female
• Officials suspect tragedy caused by bird strike and adverse weather conditions
• Boeing 737-800 aircraft belonging to carrier Jeju Air crashed upon landing
• Plane landed on runway before smashing into a wall and erupting into flames

The plane's black boxes have been recovered, director of aviation policy Ju Jong-wan has confirmed.

Authorities are now examining the boxes to confirm the cause of the aircraft smash as 177 have been confirmed dead, with just two people left to recover.

South Korea‘s suspended president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has offered his 'deep condolences' to the families of those who died in the plane crash at Muan International Airport today.

Mr Yoon was suspended after declaring martial law in South Korea this month.

The death toll has now increased to 177 - leaving just two people left to recover.

There were 181 people on board the Jeju Air passenger plane - six of which were crew members - with two of those mirculously recovered alive earlier today.

The two survivors were a male and a female, who had been sitting at the back of the plane.

David Lammy has posted on social media to give his 'heartfelt condolences' to the victims of today's plane crash in South Korea, which killed at least 176 of 181 passengers.

All flights arriving at Muan international Airport in South Korea have been cancelled today, the Korea Airports Corporation has confirmed.

At least 176 people have died after a passenger plane landed on a runway at the airport and crashed into a wall, before the aircraft exploded into flames.

At least 176 people have been killed when a plane skidded off a runway at Muan International Airport in South Korea.

The passenger plane slammed into a concrete fence and burst into flames after its front landing gear apparently failed to deploy, officials said.

The National Fire Agency said rescuers raced to pull people from the Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people at the airport in Muan, about 180 miles (290km) south of Seoul.

The aircraft was a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet returning from Bangkok and the crash happened at 9.03am local time.

A crane has been brought in to help with work at the site of the plane crash at Muan International Airport in South Korea.

At least 176 people have been killed after the Jeju Air plane belly-landed and veered off the runway, erupting in a fireball as it slammed into a wall today.

Firefighters are still searching the wreckage at Muan International Airport after at least 176 people died in the plane crash in South Korea.

83 women, 82 men and 11 others whose genders weren't immediately identifiable have been confirmed dead in the tragedy today.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has just sent condolences to the families of those killed in the deadly plane crash in South Korea.

'We have received terrible news of a plane crash in South Korea with many fatalities. Our condolences go out to the families of those killed in the crash and we wish the injured a speedy recovery,' he wrote in a post on social media platform X.

At least 176 people have been killed after the Jeju Air plane belly-landed and veered off the runway, erupting in a fireball as it slammed into a wall at Muan International Airport on today.

Choi Sang-mok, South Korea's acting president, has arrived in Muan, where at least 176 were killed after a passenger plane crashed and exploded into flames.

176 of the 179 passengers presumed dead have now been found, having lost their lives in the South Korea plane crash and fire.

Only two survivors were recovered earlier today, after the plane crashed and exploded into flames after hitting a concrete wall at Muan International Airport.

83 women, 82 men and 11 others whose genders weren't immediately identifiable have been confirmed dead in the tragedy.

Three people remain missing about nine hours after the incident.

The death toll from the plane crash in South Korea has now risen to 174, fire officials confirmed.

83 women, 80 men and 11 others whose genders weren't immediately identifiable have died in the fire caused by the crash.

The National Fire Agency said rescuers raced to pull people from the Jeju Air passenger plane at Muan International Airport, about 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul.

The fire agency deployed 32 fire trucks and several helicopters to contain the fire. About 1,560 firefighters, police officers, soldiers and other officials were also sent to the site.

Firefighters have been pictured carring another body from the wreckage of the Jeju Air passenger plane in South Korea today.

Only two of 181 people have been found alive after the aircraft crashed and exploded into flames, killing at least 167 people at Muan International Airport.

The heartbreaking last words of a passenger on the doomed Jeju Air flight have been revealed.

Jeju Air flight 7C2216, arriving from the Thai capital Bangkok with 181 people on board, was attempting to land shortly after 9am local time at South Korea's Muan International Airport when it veered off the runway and erupted in a fireball as it slammed into a wall.

The crash is the worst by any South Korean airline since a 1997 Korean Air crash in Guam that killed more than 200 people, according to transportation ministry data.

A passenger texted a relative to say a bird was stuck in the wing, the News1 agency reported. The person's final message was, 'Should I say my last words?'

Read the full story here:

Reascue teams have been pictured searching the wreckage of the Jeju Air aircraft at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea.

181 passengers were oboard the passenger jet, with 167 so far found dead and two alive.

The death toll from the plane crash in South Korea has now risen to 167, fire officials just confirmed.

181 passengers were onboard the flight, with only two found alive so far.

The plane was a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet returning from Bangkok and the crash happened at 9.03am local time.

At least 151 people are confirmed dead after the plane carrying 181 passengers skidded off a runway as it landed and crashed into a wall at Muan International Airport.

Watch as emergency services desperately try to put out the fireball explosion caused by the fatal smash.

South Korea's Jeju Air plane crash death toll has now jumped to 151.

'So far two rescued, 151 confirmed dead,' the National Fire Agency said in a statement, with the search operation ongoing as weeping relatives gather at Muan International Airport.

Senior transport ministry official Joo Jong-wan confirmed workers have recovered the flight data recorder from the aircraft's black box and are now searching for the cockpit voice recording device.

Earlier, he said government investigators arrived at the scene to investigate the cause of the crash.

Meanwhiile, emergency officials said the plane’s landing gear appeared to have malfunctioned.

Devastating photos show family members grieving at Muan International Aiport in South Korea today.

127 passengers have so far been confirmed dead in the tragedy, with desperate relatives waiting to find out about the remaining passengers.

A heartbreaking image shows the moment officials revealed the additional names of passengers who died in South Korea's plane crash at Muan International Airport.

Rescue operations are still underway, with many more feared to have died in the tragedy.

The death toll of South Korea's plane crash has now risen to 127 - with 181 passengers having been on board.

Firefighters are continuing to carry out desperate rescue operations at Muan International Airport to find those still unaccounted for.

A bird striking the aircraft is among the theories explaining why the plane crashed, with 125 so far confirmed dead.

The aircraft tragedy possibly happened due to 'contact with birds, resulting in malfunctioning landing gear' as the plane attempted to land at the airport in the country's southwest.

South Korean acting president Choi Sang-mok has arrived at the scene of the fatal plane and says the government is putting all its resources into dealing with the tragedy.

At least 125 have been confirmed dead in the crash and only two crew members have been rescued, it is understood.

The acting president (centre below) has been pictured walking to the site of the ordeal.

Kim E-bae, Jeju Air’s president, has apologised to bereaved families and said he takes 'full responsibility' for the incident.

In a televised news conference, Mr Kim said the company hadn’t identified any mechanical problems with the aircraft following regular checkups.

The crashed air carrier Jeju Air released a statement expressing its 'deep apology' over the crash, adding it would do its 'utmost to manage the aftermath of the accident'.

A may day alert was issued from the doomed Jeju Air flight just two minutes before the aircraft crash landed on the runway in South Korea.

An air traffic controller at Muan International Airport had warned the plane about a possible bird strike one minute prior to the may day alert.

Ju Jong-wan, a director of aviation policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said the plane descended to the ground following the alert.

Government officials have confirmed an official death toll of 125 from the Jeju Air flight from Bangkok.

Two of the people rescued - one passenger and one crew member - remain alive but 179 others are thought to have died.

The two survivors were taken from the tail of the plane and are being treated at nearby hospitals, according to Yonhap News.

The first 120 confirmed dead include at least 54 men and 57 women, though nine others were so badly injured their gender was not immediately clear.

All but two people - both crew members, a male and a female - have been presumed dead. The two crew members are still conscious and being treated at local hospitals.

A crew member who is thought to be one of only two survivors of a South Korean jet plane crash described the moment the engine exploded as it crashed off a runway and smashed into a wall.

Just two people - both crew members, one male and one female - are believed to have survived among the 181 people on board the Jeju Air flight, a Boeing 737-800. Government officials have confirmed an official death toll of 124.

The crew member, who has yet to be identified and is currently being treated at a local hospital, said that one of the plane's engines exploded into smoke as it approached Muan International Airport at 8:30am local time.

A witness to the tragic South Korean plane crash said he noticed sparks, flames and explosions before the doomed flight crash landed.

Kim Yong-cheol, 70, told Yonhap News that he was staying by the airport and noticed something was wrong.

'I saw the plane descending and thought it was about to land when I noticed a flash of light,' Cho said.

'Then there was a loud bang followed by smoke in the air, and then I heard a series of explosions.'

Kim said the plane missed the initial landing before circling back and making the final fatal attempt.

The two survivors of the South Korean plane crash - a man and a woman - were both crew members on the ill-fated flight.

A total of 181 people were aboard the plane and 179 were feared to be dead. The official death toll remained at 124 early Sunday.

Among the dead, 54 are male and 57 are female, while the gender of 11 remains undetermined.

Recue workers were set to search the wreckage of the doomed South Korean aircraft for the black box recorders.

The devices could offer key details behind what took place in the final moments of the ill-fated flight.

In a briefing, the transport ministry said that more than 700 workers had been mobilized for on site working efforts.

It has been confirmed that the aircraft involved in the crash was a Boeing 737-800, operated by Jeju Air.

Boeing have released a statement on the crash.

'We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding flight 2216 and stand ready to support them.

We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew.'

Despite being known as a cheaper flying option, Jeju Air had a largely good safety record leading up to Sunday's crash.

In 2023, the airline had an 'A' rating from the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which is considered 'very good.' Airlines got as high a grade as A++ last year.

Jeju Air was the subject of a federal investigation for a plane having flown despite having a defect in the tip of its wings in 2023. That year, federal judges gave them a 'C' for safety.

It was previously reported that this was the first crash in the airline's history which dates back to 2005.

South Korea's National Fire Authority says that all but two of the 181 people on the Jeju Air flight from Bangkok are presumed dead.

Two of the people rescued - one passenger and one crew member - remain alive but 179 others are thought to have died.

The two survivors were taken from the tail of the plane and are being treated at nearby hospitals, according to Yonhap News.

The crash marks the worst tragedy for a South Korean plane since 1997, when 229 people died after a Korean Air jet slammed into a hill in Guam.

After releasing a terse initial statement, Jeju Air has offered a more sincere apology for the crash.

'Jeju Air deeply bows in apology to all those affected by the Muan Airport accident. Our first priority is to do everything possible to manage this incident. We sincerely apologise for causing concern,' they said in a statement.

The death toll after a plane caught fire during landing at an airport in the southern region of South Korea has risen to 85, according to the National Fire Agency.

The airline involved in a devastating crash that killed dozens in South Korea removed all content on their website except for a simple statement on the tragedy.

'We lower our heads in apology to everyone who suffered in the accident,' the website read in Korean. 'We will do everything we can to deal with this accident.'

The plane is believed to have crashed when the landing gear malfunctioned.

At least 62 people have died after a plane caught fire during landing at an airport in the southern region of South Korea, the National Fire Agency says.

The fire engulfed the aircraft carrying 181 people when it skidded off the runway just after landing and struck a barrier. The country´s emergency office said its landing gear appeared to have malfunctioned.

The airline involved in the crash, Jeju Air, has never had a fatal crash before today's. It was founded in 2005.

However, Jeju Air was the subject of a federal investigation for a plane having flown despite having a defect in the tip of its wings.

The carrier is known as a low-cost option in South Korea that flies to dozens of countries on the Asian continent.

South Korean emergency officials say that 47 people are dead after a plane caught fire during landing at an airport in the country's south.

The fire engulfed the aircraft carrying 181 people when it skidded off the runway just after landing and struck a barrier. The country´s emergency office said its landing gear appeared to have malfunctioned.

The National Fire Agency says that a total of 47 people on board have been found dead as a result of the incident.

Three people have been successfully rescued from the plane crash so far, according to Yonhap News in South Korea.

One passenger and one crew member are among those rescued.

Local hospitals have been in contact with authorities to help with those injured and casualties.

Aviation expert Alex Macheras has said the aircraft attempted a 'belly landing' without its landing gear extended before it hit the perimeter wall.

He added: 'Jeju Air is the largest South Korean low-cost airline with an impeccable safety record (like the other Korean airlines).

'The airline operates the world’s busiest flight routes, with an all-Boeing fleet of 40. Rescue & recovery operation is currently underway, per govt'

The Jeju Air flight had reportedly attempted one landing before being forced to 'go-around' when the landing gear failed to lower normally, the Guardian report.

A go-around is a standard aviation manoeuvre where pilots abort a landing attempt and circle around for another try.

Harrowing images have been shared showing black smoke billowing into the air following the crash.

Drivers passing by the road next to Muam International Airport took snaps of the incident.

Jets of water can be seen in an attempt to put out the flames following the crash.

One flight attendant and one passenger have been rescued so far, South Korea's fire agency said.

'Currently two have been rescued, one passenger and one flight attendant,' the national fire agency said in a statement, adding that 32 fire trucks and scores of firefighters had been deployed to the crash site at Muan airport.

The accident happened at 9:07 a.m., when the Jeju Air flight veered off the runway while landing and collided with a fence at the Musan International Airport in the Muan county, about 288 kilometers southwest of Seoul.

A total of 181, including six crew members, were aboard the plane that was returning from Bangkok.

Most of the passengers were Koreans, except for two Thai nationals.

Authorities have extinguished the initial fire and said that search and rescue operations were under way at the crash site.

They also began an on-site investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok called for the mobilisation of all resources to save the passengers.

'All related agencies... must mobilise all available resources to save the personnel,' he instructed officials in a statement.

The crash is believed to have been caused by 'contact with birds, resulting in malfunctioning landing gear' as the plane attempted to land at the airport in the country's southwest, Yonhap news agency reported.

There were 175 passengers and 6 crew members on board, it added.

A photo showed the tail section of the jet engulfed in flames on what appeared to be the side of the runway, with firefighters and emergency vehicles nearby.

Lee Hyeon-ji, a response team officer at the local fire department, has confirmed the number of deaths from the crash.

She told the media: 'We have so far confirmed 29 deaths from the crash.

'But the tally could rise due to the critically injured.'

Rescue authorities were evacuating passengers from the rear section of the jet, Lee added.

Footage has emerged of the moment the plane attempts to land - and appears to have an issue with its landing gear.

The aircraft appears to slide along the runway, but it fails to slow. It then slams into the wall at the end of the runway and erupts into a ball of flames.

Frantic emergency services then rush to the scene.

At least 28 passengers have been killed in a plane crash at an airport in South Korea, according to local media.

Passengers are being rescued from the tail of the plane after veering off the runway at Muan Airport.

The plane was said to be carrying 181 people on board, including six crew, as it attempted to land.