Xi extends condolences over plane crash in South Korea

Runway accident kills 179; two crew members survive

President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolence on Sunday to South Korean acting president Choi Sang-mok over the crash of a Jeju Air passenger plane, which killed 179 people.

Xi said he was shocked to learn about the tragedy that caused a significant loss of human lives. On behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, he expressed deep condolences and extended sincere sympathies to the bereaved families, and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

The twin-engine Boeing 737-800, arriving from Bangkok, Thailand, with 175 passengers and six crew members on board, belly-landed and veered off the runway, bursting into flames as it plowed its way through a concrete wall at Muan International Airport, about 288 kilometers southwest of Seoul, shortly after 9 am.