179 people died in the Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea

All passengers on board a Jeju Air flight were killed after the plane crashed at an airport in South Korea on Sunday, the country's worst-ever aviation disaster.

A total of 179 of the 181 people on board the Boeing 737-800 died, while only two survivors, both of whom were cabin crew, were pulled out by rescuers from the burning accident.

The plane landed at the Muan International Airport in the south of the country, skidded off the runway and hit a wall when a fire broke out.

Flight 2216 was returning from Bangkok, Thailand with six crew and 175 passengers, most of whom were on vacation.

Distraught relatives gathered in the arrivals hall crying tears of joy as they waited for the bodies to be identified.

Some of the victims have been identified so far through their fingerprints.

Maeng Gi-su, 78, told the BBC that his nephew and two of his nephew's sons were on the plane.

It was the family's first trip abroad, to mark the youngest son completing his college entrance exams.

“I can't believe that the whole family just disappeared. My heart is very sad,” he said.

The passengers included 173 South Koreans and two Thai nationals. They were aged between 3 and 78, although most were in their 40s, 50s and 60s, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported.

Footage shared of the crash – which happened just after 09:00 local time (00:00 GMT) – showed the plane landing without wheels, running off the runway and hitting a wall, before part of it burst into flames.

An investigation into the cause is ongoing. There were no initial reports of problems with the plane or maintenance during takeoff.

South Korean transport officials report that the plane encountered difficulties on its approach to landing – when the pilot, who had more than 9,800 hours of flying experience – bailed out of the first landing attempt due to interference from birds.

Shortly thereafter, the pilot issued a Mayday call and attempted an emergency landing.

The malfunction of the landing gear may have resulted from the birds being caught in the flight systems, local media reported.

Another passenger sent a message to a relative saying there was a bird stuck in the wing, South Korean News1 agency reported.

The tragedy is a national tragedy in South Korea, which has been engulfed in political turmoil after President Yoon and his interim successor were both impeached in parliament.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok, who was only elected on Friday, visited the crash site on Sunday.

“I express my deepest condolences to the many victims of this incident. I will do everything I can for the injured to recover quickly,” said Choi.

South Korean airlines are often seen as an “industry best practice” with good safety records, analysts said.

The Jeju Air crash is the worst for any South Korean airline since the 1997 Korean Air crash in Guam, which killed more than 200 people. Before Sunday, the world's deadliest in South Korea was the crash of an Air China plane that killed 129 people.

The Muan airport accident also marks the first fatal accident for Jeju Air, one of South Korea's low-cost airlines that was founded in 2005.

The management of Jeju Air bowed deeply while apologizing to the public at a press conference on Sunday.

“We deeply apologize to all those affected by this incident. We will do everything possible to resolve this situation,” said the firm's statement.

Boeing Airlines, which makes the 737-800 jet, said it was in contact with the airline.