Jeju Air plane crash | Both survivors in shock, unable to recall anything about crash

The two flight attendants who are the only survivors of the deadly Jeju Air plane crash on Sunday (December 29) in South Korea were reportedly unable to recall anything about the air crash after they regained consciousness.

Both the crew members appeared disoriented when they were asked questions.

One of them, 32-year-old Lee, asked the doctors attending to him, “What happened? Why am I here?” according to a report by The Korea Times.

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The doctors said his reaction could be due to shock after the air crash. Lee suffered a fractured left shoulder and head trauma. He was reportedly stationed at the rear of the plane when it crashed. He was transferred to a hospital in Seoul at his family’s request.

The other survivor, 25-year-old Kwon, sustained a fractured ankle, a scalp laceration, and possible abdominal injuries. She was receiving treatment at Mokpo Central Hospital. She too could not remember any details about the accident.

Both of them were rescued from the tail section of the wreckage by emergency workers and were rushed to the hospital.

‘My sister went to heaven today’

The Muan International Airport witnessed tragic scenes as family members of the victims received the news of their deaths. Many of them screamed and wept.

A 65-year-old woman told AFP, “My younger sister went to heaven today.”

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“I had a son on board that plane. He is yet to be identified,” an elderly man told the news agency.

The authorities said they were working to complete the identification of all the victims.

Memorial altars to be set up nationwide

South Korea will set up memorial altars across the country as it begins a 7-day national mourning period.

The country’s acting President Choi Sang-mok convened an emergency cabinet meeting, and later visited the crash site at Muan.

US President Joe Biden said he was deeply saddened by the air crash, as world leaders expressed their condolences.

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The US National Transportation Safety Board said that it would lead a team of investigators from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Authority to help South Korean officials in investigating the cause of the crash.

Both black boxes have been recovered – the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder.

Initial investigations reveal that the crash could have been due to a failure of the landing gear, possibly due to a bird strike.