179 dead, 2 survive in South Korea's worst plane crash in decades

Only two crew members of the 181 people on board a Jeju Air flight survived when the passenger jet crash-landed at an airport in Muan County, southwest South Korea on Sunday, the fire authorities confirmed later on the day.

The bodies of 179 victims had been retrieved from the scene as of 20:38 local time Sunday, and the identities of 88 victims had been confirmed as of 22:00 local time Sunday, the fire authorities said.

The accident marks the worst air disaster in the country in decades after 66 people were killed in a plane crash in 1993.

It was reported at about 09:03 local time Sunday that the airplane with 175 passengers, including 173 South Koreans and two Thais, together with six flight attendants on board, crashed while attempting to land at the Muan International Airport, some 290 km southwest of the capital Seoul.

The Jeju Air flight 7C2216 from Bangkok, Thailand landed without wheels, skidding off the runway and hitting the outer wall of the runway, with its fuselage broken in half and catching fire.

The two crew members who survived the tragedy were rescued at the rear of the ill-fated aircraft, with most parts of the plane severely damaged.

According to South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, minutes before the crash, the control tower had issued a warning of a bird strike.

After making the first landing attempt, the aircraft went around into the air due to the estimated malfunctioning of landing gear and made the second landing attempt with a belly landing that resulted in the disaster.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport said on Sunday that the retrieval of both flight data and voice recorders was completed to look into the air disaster.

The ministry added that it may take at least months to years to figure out the exact cause of the accident.

In a statement on Sunday, the National Transportation Safety Board of the United States said that in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing, it is sending a team of investigators to South Korea to assist with the investigation into the plane accident.

South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok on Sunday announced a week-long mourning period following the deadly airliner crash.

Choi said at a central disaster countermeasures meeting that the government will set seven days until midnight on Jan 4 next year as the national mourning period while setting up joint memorial altars in 17 cities and provinces to express condolences for the victims.

He said civil servants in all ministries, local governments and public institutions will wear mourning ribbons during the period, vowing to thoroughly investigate the exact cause of the accident and take actions to prevent recurrence of such a tragic accident.

Choi expressed deep condolences to the deceased and their bereaved families, declaring Muan County as a special disaster area to provide necessary support for the bereaved families and the injured.

A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement on Sunday that the Secretary-General is "deeply saddened" by the news of the plane crash.

"He extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and also wishes a swift and full recovery to those injured in this tragic event," said the spokesperson.

179 dead, 2 survive in South Korea's worst plane crash in decades

179 dead, 2 survive in South Korea's worst plane crash in decades

179 dead, 2 survive in South Korea's worst plane crash in decades

179 dead, 2 survive in South Korea's worst plane crash in decades

179 dead, 2 survive in South Korea's worst plane crash in decades

Vietnam and Honduras, two of the world's major coffee-growing countries, were severely impacted by high temperatures, droughts and other abnormal conditions brought by climate change.

December is usually the peak season for coffee harvesting in Gia Lai Province, a key coffee-producing area in Vietnam. This year, however, local coffee farmers have encountered a significant reduction in production due to the drought in the summer.

"I have been growing coffee for 22 years and I have never experienced a drought like this year's," said Pham Duc Suy, a local coffee farmer.

Vietnam experienced an unusual combination of high temperatures and drought in the summer of 2024, leading to reduced production in many major coffee-producing areas in the country.

"In 2023 we collected six tons of green coffee beans and harvested nearly 30 tons of coffee cherries. But in 2024 we only collected 17 tons of coffee cherries, half of what we could get in previous years," said Nguyen Van Hoa, a local coffee farmer.

To combat the extreme weather conditions, local farmers increased their irrigation and the government deployed agricultural technicians to help solve the water shortage issues.

However, in addition to drought, the high temperatures also triggered a white aphid infestation, further exacerbating the decline in coffee production.

The reduction in coffee production in Vietnam has led to a decline in exports for 2024. In the first 11 months of 2024, Vietnam's cumulative coffee exports approached 1.2 million tons, a year-on-year decrease of 15.4 percent, according to industry data.

However, as coffee prices soared in 2024 globally, the country's coffee exports generated 4.84 billion U.S. dollars during the same period, up 32.8 percent year on year.

Coffee farmers in Honduras have also been severely impacted by climate change.

Coffee is a major agricultural product in Honduras, grown in 15 of the country's 18 provinces, with more than 120,000 families involved in its production.

The abnormal climate conditions in 2024 shortened the flowering season for coffee crops, resulting in a notable decrease in production.

"Normally, we experience three to four flowering seasons each year. Due to climate change, some areas may only see one or two flowering seasons. However, our coffee plantation only has one flowering season annually now," said Franco Ordonez, a local coffee producer.

Honduras' coffee exports during the 2023-24 period dropped from 7.15 million bags in the previous period to 6.1 million bags, and the export value fell from 1.213 billion U.S. dollars to 1.074 billion U.S. dollars, according to industry data.

Local farmers expressed the hope to improve the quality of their coffee beans and promote sustainable practices, while exploring new coffee products that appeal to emerging markets.

"We are studying the flavors of coffee. The Asian market prefers floral and sour flavors. And we're putting in the effort to refine our flavors to meet this demand," said Ordonez.

Climate change harms coffee production in Vietnam, Honduras