A catastrophic airliner crash at South Korea’s Muan International Airport on Sunday claimed the lives of at least 124 people, making it the deadliest aviation disaster involving a South Korean airline in nearly 30 years.

Jeju Air flight 7C2216, a Boeing 737-800 carrying 181 passengers and crew from Bangkok, Thailand, attempted to land without its landing gear shortly after 9 a.m. local time. The plane skidded along the runway before slamming into a wall, erupting into a massive fireball.

Dramatic footage showed the aircraft engulfed in flames and debris as thick smoke billowed from the wreckage. "Only the tail part retains a little bit of shape; the rest is almost unrecognisable," said Muan Fire Chief Lee Jung-hyun during a briefing.

Two crew members—a man and a woman—were rescued from the tail section of the burning plane and are being treated for moderate to severe injuries. The fire was extinguished by 1 p.m., and authorities have transitioned from rescue efforts to recovery operations, searching nearby areas for victims potentially thrown from the impact.

The transport ministry has pledged a full investigation into the cause of the crash, which has shocked the nation and drawn international attention.