Revealed: First words of cabin crew member saved from wreckage of doomed South Korean jet – as experts reveal how he and female colleague miraculously survived fireball disaster that left 179 dead
- This story is developing, more to come
The first words of one of the two people who survived the fatal Jeju Air plane crash that killed 179 other people on Sunday have been revealed.
The Jeju Air plane skidded off the runway in the city of Muan, 300 kilometers south of Seoul, crashed into a concrete barrier and burst into flames on Sunday after its landing gear apparently failed to deploy. All but two of the 181 people aboard the Boeing 737-800 have died in one of South Korea’s worst aviation disasters, officials said.
One survivor, a 33-year-old male flight attendant identified only by his surname, Lee, reportedly became disoriented when he woke up at Ewha Woman’s University Hospital in Seoul.
According to his doctors, when he woke up he asked ‘what happened’ and ‘why am I here’.
He also said that he had been wearing his seat belt before the crash, but that he could not remember anything afterward.
Lee, who local media said was responsible for passenger service at the rear of the plane, suffered a broken left shoulder and head injuries. He was initially taken to a hospital in Mokpo, about 300 kilometers south of Seoul, before being transferred to the capital.
A fellow survivor, a 25-year-old female flight attendant identified only by her surname, Koo, is being treated at Asan Medical Center in eastern Seoul.
A hospital official told local media: ‘Koo is currently being treated for scalp lacerations and ankle fractures, and is undergoing abdominal diagnostic treatment.
A victim rescued from a plane crash is transported to a hospital in Mokpo, South Korea on Sunday, December 29, 2024
The Jeju Air plane in flames at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, December 29, 2024
The destroyed tail section of the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 aircraft that crashed and caught fire is seen at the end of the runway at Muan International Airport in Muan on December 30, 2024
Recovery teams work at the site where a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 series aircraft crashed and caught fire at Muan International Airport in Muan on December 30, 2024
“There’s no major threat to her life or anything, but we didn’t have time to ask about the accident.”
Meanwhile, Lee may be at risk of full-body paralysis as a result of the fatal crash, according to hospital officials.
Director Joo Woong of Seoul National University Hospital told reporters: “There is a possibility of after-effects such as whole-body paralysis, so we are conducting intensive observation and pain relief treatments in parallel.”
More to follow.