South Korea on Monday started the investigation into the cause of the country's deadliest air disaster in decades, as the nation mourns the victims of Sunday's airplane crash.
A total of 179 people were killed from a passenger airplane that crashed Sunday while landing at Muan International Airport in the southwest of South Korea.
According to the fire authorities, the bodies of all victims were retrieved from the scene at 20:38 local time Sunday, with only two crew members being rescued.
The accident marks the worst air disaster in the country in decades after 66 people were killed in a plane crash in 1993.
On Monday morning, investigators arrived at the crash site to determine the cause of the disaster.
The direct cause of the crash was the malfunction of the landing gear, but the specific reason for this failure remains under further investigation. Eyewitnesses and reports from the airport tower suggest that the aircraft may have suffered a bird strike at the time of the accident, but the link between the bird strike and the landing gear failure is still unclear.
In the aftermath, South Korean authorities are working to identify the victims, while various government agencies are providing support to the families of the deceased.
As the country entered a week-long period of national mourning, memorial sites for the victims were set up in major cities across the nation, and many New Year's Eve celebrations were canceled.
On Sunday, South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok said that the government would find the cause of the accident as soon as possible, and provide an explanation to the families of the victims and to the South Korean people.
Investigations into cause of South Korean plane crash underway
Investigations into cause of South Korean plane crash underway
Investigations into cause of South Korean plane crash underway
Investigations into cause of South Korean plane crash underway
