SEOUL: South Korean police on Thursday (Jan 2) raided the offices of Jeju Air and the operator of Muan International Airport as part of the probe into the fatal crash of a Boeing 737-800 plane that killed 179 people.
Jeju Air flight 2216 was carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea on Sunday when it issued a mayday call and belly-landed before hitting a barrier and bursting into flames, killing everyone aboard except two flight attendants pulled from the burning wreckage.
Authorities carried out search and seizure operations at the Muan airport where the flight crashed, a regional aviation office in the southwestern city, and Jeju Air’s office in the capital Seoul.
South Korean and US investigators, including from Boeing, have been combing the crash site since the disaster to establish a cause, with both black boxes found and decoding work ongoing.
“In relation to the plane accident that occurred on Dec 29, a search and seizure operation is being conducted from 9am (8am, Singapore time) on Jan 2 at three locations,” police said in a statement sent to AFP.
“The police plan to swiftly and rigorously determine the cause and responsibility for this accident in accordance with the law and principles.”
Police told AFP the search warrant was issued, and Yonhap reported it was approved on charges of professional negligence resulting in death, citing officials.
South Korea has also announced it will inspect all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by its carriers, focusing on the landing gear, which appears to have malfunctioned during the Sunday crash.
Source: CNA
