In South Korea, a plane carrying 181 people crashed at Muan airport in the country's southwest on Sunday (Dec 29), reported Yonhap news agency.

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The Jeju Airlines plane was carrying "175 passengers, 6 crew members aboard" when it crashed at Muan airport, said the report.

According to news agencies, authorities have confirmed that 179 people have died in the crash. Meanwhile, only two people have been pulled alive from the plane debris. Officials had earlier warned that there was little chance of many of the 181 people on board having survived.

Jeju Airlines has issued an apology. In a statement, the airline said, "We at Jeju Air will do everything in our power in response to this accident. We sincerely apologise for causing concern."

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South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok said the crash site has been declared a special disaster zone.

“The government would like to offer its sincere condolences to the bereaved families and will do its best to recover from this accident and prevent a recurrence,” Choi said.

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South Korea's national fire agency, in a statement, said, "Currently two have been rescued, one passenger and one flight attendant." It also said that 32 fire trucks and scores of firefighters had been deployed to the crash site at Muan airport for the rescue operation. 

A dramatic video of the crash is being widely shared on social media platforms, including X. Viewer discretion is advised.

What happened?

The flight was travelling from Thailand when it crashed. This 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, reported the South Korean news agency.

Rescue authorities tried to evacuate passengers from the rear section of the jet, Yonhap said, citing the fire department.

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Visuals of the crash show the jet engulfed in flames on what appeared to be the side of the runway, with firefighters and emergency vehicles nearby.

Acting President Choi Sung-mok, who was named interim leader of the country on Friday after the previous acting president was impeached amid an ongoing political crisis, ordered all-out rescue efforts, his office said. A Jeju Air spokesperson said the airline was checking the reports.

Boeing has extended help to Jeju. In a post on X, the airline said, "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," it added.

(With inputs from agencies)