Police in South Korea raided the Muan International Airport, entering the site of Sunday’s devastating plane crash, which resulted in 179 fatalities. The raids also targeted the office of Jeju Air, the airline operating the flight, and a regional aviation office. The police are investigating potential professional negligence linked to the disaster, which has prompted growing pressure on authorities to determine the cause of the crash.

Jeju Air Flight 2216, traveling from Thailand to South Korea, issued a mayday call before attempting an emergency landing at Muan. The Boeing 737-800 belly-landed on the runway, crashed into a barrier and burst into flames. Only two flight attendants survived. This has become South Korea’s deadliest aviation disaster to date.

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The raids underscore the urgency surrounding the investigation, which focuses on potential faults in the aircraft’s landing gear, which failed to deploy during the plane’s approach. Police intend to seize documents and materials related to the aircraft’s operation, maintenance, and management of airport facilities.

“The police plan to swiftly and rigorously determine the cause and responsibility for this accident in accordance with the law and principles,” the statement read.

It is worth noting that investigators have retrieved both of the plane’s "black boxes" from the wreckage, and work is underway to decode data from the cockpit voice recorder. However, the flight data recorder, which got damaged in the crash, will be sent to the United States for further analysis, after local officials failed to extract data from it.

In response to the crash, South Korea’s government has launched an emergency safety inspection of the country’s aviation sector. Separate checks are also being conducted on all 101 Boeing 737-800 aircraft used by six South Korean airlines, particularly focusing on the landing gear.

Interim President Choi Sang-mok emphasized the need for "immediate action" if any irregularities are discovered during the inspections. He added, “As there is great public concern about the same aircraft model involved in the accident, the transport ministry and relevant agencies must conduct a thorough inspection of operation maintenance, education, and training."

The investigation continues to probe why the landing gear failed, with bird strikes and mechanical malfunction being considered possible causes. The focus is also on the placement of a concrete barrier near the runway’s end, which experts believe may have contributed to the severity of the crash. It’s suspected that passengers died when the plane collided with the barrier at high speed, igniting a fire and causing the plane to disintegrate.

On Wednesday, relatives of the victims, including five children under 10 and nine members of the same family, were allowed to visit the crash site. There, they placed traditional rice cake soup, or tteokguk, to honor their loved ones. Many mourners lined up at a nearby memorial altar, paying respects to the victims.