Pope Francis expressed his prayer “for the survivors and the dead” of the plane crash that occurred when a Jeju Air airline plane crashed with 181 people on board at Muan airport, southwest of South Korea, during the morning ( local time) on Sunday, December 29.
“My thoughts are directed to the many families in South Korea who are in mourning today after the dramatic plane crash,” said the Holy Father.
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According to the agency Reuterstwo crew members of the aircraft were rescued, while 177 people have been confirmed dead. Two people remain missing.
In a statement published On the home page of Jeju Air’s website, its CEO Kim Lee-bae stated that “at around 9:03 a.m. on December 29, a fire broke out while flight 7C2216 Bangkok-Muan International Airport of Muan.”
Kim Lee-bae expressed his “deepest condolences and apologies to the passengers and bereaved families who lost their lives in the accident.”
“At the moment, it is difficult to determine the cause of the accident and we must wait for the official announcement of the investigation by the relevant government agencies.”
The CEO of Jeju Air also pledged to support “the families of the passengers,” while ensuring that the company will work with the South Korean government “to determine the cause of the accident.”
The Pope prays for families suffering from wars
The Holy Father also assured his prayer “for the families who suffer because of wars: in the tormented Ukraine, in Palestine, in Israel, in Myanmar, in Sudan, in North Kivu, we pray for all these families at war.”
David Ramos
Graduated in Communication Sciences from the Universidad Privada del Norte in Trujillo, Peru. With more than 12 years of experience in Catholic journalism working at ACI Prensa, I have been based in Mexico since 2018. I have covered Pope Francis’ trips to Ecuador, Paraguay, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Panama.