South Korea struggles to determine cause of plane crash that killed 179 people

Rescue team members work at the site of a plane fire at Muan International Airport. Picture: AP/Ahn Young-joon

South Korean officials are struggling to determine what caused a plane crash that killed 179 people.

The nation is in shock over the country’s worst aviation disaster in decades with many observers worrying about how effectively the South Korean government will handle the aftermath of Sunday’s crash as it grapples with a leadership vacuum following the successive impeachments of President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minster Han Duck-soo, the country’s top two officials, amid political tumult caused by Yoon’s brief martial law introduction earlier this month.