South Korea struggles to find answers

Inspection of Boeing aircraft launched as 7-day national mourning announced

MUAN, South Korea — Flags flew at half-mast on Monday as South Korea mourned 179 people killed in the worst plane crash on its soil, as investigators probe why the Jeju Air plane crash-landed and burst into flames.

The country has announced seven days of national mourning, with the acting president flying to the crash site in southwestern Muan for a memorial as teams of US and South Korean investigators raced to establish what caused Sunday's disaster.

The Boeing 737-800 was carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea when it made a mayday call and belly-landing before crashing into a barrier and bursting into flames. Everyone on board Jeju Air Flight 2216 was killed, save two flight attendants pulled from the wreckage.