SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A passenger plane burst into flames while landing at an airport in South Korea on Sunday, killing 179 people in one of the deadliest aviation disasters in the country’s history. There were only two survivors, officials said.

Video showed the plane skidding across the runway about 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul on Sunday, overrunning the runway and crashing into an airport barrier. Its front landing gear was apparently not extended.

Here are some things you should know about crashes:

What preceded the fatal fire?

Officials said the pilot sent a distress signal just before the plane overshot the end of the runway.

Footage broadcast by South Korean television channels showed the plane skidding – apparently without the landing gear extended. The jet overran the runway and struck a barrier, causing a fiery explosion. Footage showed thick clouds of smoke rising from the flames of the plane.

The 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet had just arrived from Bangkok when the crash occurred at 9:03 a.m. Sunday in the city of Muan.

Workers recovered the flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the plane’s black box, which are being examined by government experts probing the cause of the crash and fire, said Joo Jong-wan, a senior Transportation Ministry official.

What do we know about victims?

The jet, operated by Jeju Air, had 181 passengers and crew. Of these, a total of 179 people died in the crash and subsequent fire; Only two crew members survived, officials said.

Family members wailed as officials announced the names of some of the victims in a lounge at Muan airport.

Jeju Air President Kim E-bae bowed deeply along with other senior company officials as he apologized to the bereaved and said he felt “fully responsible” for the incident. Boeing also expressed its condolences and said in a statement on X that it was ready to help the company deal with the crash.

The government declared Muan a special disaster area.

What about reports of a bird strike?

It will take months to determine the cause. But there are some possible clues.

Lee Jeong-hyeon, head of the Muan Fire Station, said workers were considering various possibilities as to the cause of the crash, including whether the plane was hit by birds. Transportation Department officials said the airport’s control tower issued a bird strike warning to the plane shortly before it was scheduled to land and gave the pilot permission to land in a different area.

The plane was destroyed, with the tail unit the only visible part among the rubble, the fire chief said at a televised news conference.

What is the reaction from around the world?

The incident came as South Korea was embroiled in a political crisis triggered by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s surprise declaration of martial law and subsequent impeachment. Last Friday, South Korean lawmakers impeached incumbent President Han Duck-soo, leading to Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok seizing power.

Choi, who traveled to the crash site, urged officials to use all available resources to find the missing and identify the victims as quickly as possible. The government has declared a week of national mourning until Saturday.

Yoon’s office said his chief secretary, Chung Jin-suk, chaired an emergency meeting of senior presidential aides to discuss the crash and provided the details to Choi. Yoon also expressed his condolences to the victims.

World leaders expressed their condolences as South Korea copes with the tragedy.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed his deep condolences to the families and ordered the country’s Foreign Ministry to provide immediate assistance. Pope Francis expressed his condolences in St. Peter’s Square. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he was “deeply saddened by the loss of many precious lives.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also expressed his condolences.

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Associated Press writers Bobby Caina Calvan in New York, Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul and Jintamas Saksornchai in Bangkok, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Giada Zampano in Rome and David Sharp in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.

Hyung-jin Kim and Kim Tong-hyung, The Associated Press