Survivor of South Korea plane crash is awake and speaking: Hospital official
A 33-year-old flight attendant, one of just two survivors of the Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea that killed 179 people, is awake and talking to medical staff, according to a hospital official.
The survivor, who was only identified by his surname Lee, told doctors he had "already been rescued" when he regained consciousness following Sunday's fiery crash at the Muan International Airport, Ju Woong, director of the Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital, said during a news conference on Monday.
Lee and another flight attendant on Jeju Air Flight 7C2216, who was identified by her surname Koo, were the only ones aboard the aircraft to live through what authorities said was South Korea's deadliest plane crash in decades and one of the worst in aviation history.
The 25-year-old Koo is reportedly in stable condition at a different hospital than the one where Lee is being treated. Koo suffered injuries to her ankle and head, medical staff at the hospital told the Yonhap News Agency. The medical staff treating her declined to answer further questions about her condition.
Ju said Lee is being treated in the intensive care unit for multiple fractures.
He said Lee is "fully able to communicate."
"There's no indication yet of memory loss or such," Ju said.
The hospital director said Lee is under special care due to the possibility of total paralysis.
Ju said he did not question Lee about the details of the crash, saying he didn't believe it would be helpful with the patient's recovery.
Lee was initially taken to a hospital in Mokpo before being transferred to the Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital.
The crash unfolded just before 9 a.m. local time on Sunday at the Muan International Airport after the air traffic control tower gave the flight crew permission to land on a south-to-north runway, according to an official timeline by the Korean Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport.
Three minutes later, the flight control tower issued a warning of a possible bird strike, the transport ministry said. About two minutes after that warning, a pilot sent a distress signal, saying, "Mayday, mayday, mayday, bird strike, bird strike, going around," the ministry said.
The plane ascended and made a 180-degree turn before descending from the north side, crash-landing and slamming into a wall at 9:03 a.m., the ministry said.
The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, skidded along a runway, crashed into a wall and burst into flames, officials said. A total of 181 people were onboard.
The flight had originated before dawn Sunday at the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand, according to Flightradar24, a flight tracker.
An official cause of the crash is under investigation by South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board.
