Recovery and identification of victims of the Jeju Air crash may take until January 8 as families wait in the make-shift tents at Muan International Airport to claim the remains of their loved ones, Korea Times reported.
“We can’t even hold a funeral until next Wednesday (Jan. 8). My grandchild hasn’t been identified yet. I can’t even send them off properly. Oh, my poor baby,” a grandmother’s wails from one of the tents at the airport.
Ko Mo, a 72-year-old whose son and daughter-in-law were among the victims, sat near the airport’s entrance.
“Honestly, I’m scared,” she said.
“I went to see my child’s face for the last time, but I fear they’ll only show me fragments of flesh. Still, I must see it through — it’s my child’s face,” she added as she broke into tears.
Interim handovers being considered
According to South Jeolla Provincial Police Agency’s investigative department, out of 179 fatalities, the majority of bodies were severely damaged, making identification a painstaking process.
“We’ve sent the victims’ remains to the National Forensic Service (NFS), but even with maximum effort and focus, preliminary DNA results won’t be available until next Wednesday,” head of the probing agency Na Won-oh said during a briefing.
“Apart from five bodies, it will be difficult to return remains to the families in a recognizable condition. For the rest, funeral procedures cannot proceed until DNA identification is complete,” he added.
The police are also exploring options to hand over remains to the families sooner if they consent.
“If the medical examiner determines that remains can be released, we are consulting with the NFS to hand them over with written consent from the families,” an official from the South Jeolla Police Agency said.
All victim’s remains have been moved to temporary mortuaries, with the identities of 141 victims confirmed as of Monday. Police are using fingerprints to identify victims where possible and relying on DNA analysis for those whose fingerprints were destroyed or not registered.
What led to the deadly crash
A Jeju Air flight carrying 181 people crashed at Muan International Airport on Sunday, leaving only two survivors in one of South Korea’s deadliest aviation disasters. The two survivors, both flight attendants, were rescued from the tail section of the aircraft who were left disoriented and shocked after the incident.
Investigations suggest the crash occurred when the plane’s landing gear failed to deploy. The jetliner skidded off the runway, its impact with the concrete fence triggering a massive fire. Emergency responders from the National Fire Agency confirmed the toll, recovering 179 fatalities and rescuing the two crew members.
The flight, which had taken off from Bangkok, was attempting to land in Muan, a town located 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul.
