This article contains descriptions of a tragic aviation accident, including loss of life, emotional distress, and graphic details of the aftermath. It may be distressing for some readers. Discretion is advised.

The stench of gasoline hangs over Muan International Airport. Behind a police cordon, plane seats, suitcases and twisted bits of metal are scattered, close to the wrecked fuselage of Jeju Air flight 2216.

The Boeing 737-800 carrying 181 people from Bangkok to South Korea crashed as it attempted an emergency landing Sunday, smashing into a wall and bursting into flames, leaving all but two people aboard feared dead.

Hundreds of emergency workers put out the fire and combed through the wreckage, but only two people, both flight attendants, were rescued alive, with 177 confirmed dead.

By late afternoon, floodlights illuminated the twisted wreckage as a huge yellow crane lifted the fuselage, allowing officials to continue the search and rescue mission.

Behind a police cordon tape stretched across the wire fence at the edge of the runway, plane seats and other chunks of metal could be seen, offering a glimpse into the catastrophic impact of the crash.

Inside the airport terminal, family members gathered to wait for news, many looking stunned and tearful.

One woman was carried away on a stretcher, apparently having passed out from shock. 

The boards typically used for arrival and departure information were instead displaying the names, dates of birth and nationalities of the victims.

"I had a son on board that plane ... He has yet to be identified," one elderly man waiting in the airport lounge, who asked not to be named, told AFP

Youngest passenger, 3

Wailing and screaming echoed through the two-storey airport, as the names and identities of victims were confirmed.

Many of the passengers, who were all Korean nationals except for two Thais, had been returning home after their winter holidays.

"My younger sister went to heaven today," one 65-year-old woman who gave only her surname Jo told AFP.

Her sister had been in Bangkok with her friends on holiday, the woman, wearing a mask and a grey knit hat, said.

"My husband is now trying to check whether she's been identified," Jo added.

The flight had 175 passengers, including two Thai nationals, and six crew onboard.

According to authorities, the youngest passenger was a three-year-old boy and the oldest was a 78-year-old.

Five of the dead were children under the age of 10, authorities said, citing the passenger manifest.

The only sounds near the crash site were the whirring of cameras and the murmur of reporters broadcasting live, as hundreds of relatives, lost for words, awaited news of their loved ones aboard the burned plane.

In the area around the runway, AFP reporters could see duty-free booklets and sanitary gloves worn by the flight crew scattered across the field, not far from the charred tail of the aircraft.

Moment of silence

It is the deadliest aviation accident on South Korean soil and the worst in years involving the country's carriers.

A moment of silence was held at sporting events, including volleyball and basketball games, on Sunday.

All major South Korean broadcasters changed their schedules to emergency news programming. 

End-of-the-year entertainment award shows and comedy shows were cancelled.

The accident comes as South Korea is in the midst of political chaos, after suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached earlier this month over his ill-fated attempt to declare martial law.

The acting president was also impeached Friday, leaving the country with its third leader in three weeks.

Civic groups said they were reviewing whether to postpone mass impeachment rallies in light of the accident.

Heartbreaking stories of family members were also shared online, with one saying his mother and his five aunts were one the plane.

"I was told they would arrive around 8:50 am today, so I came to the airport to pick up my mother and aunts, but I've heard no word from them," he told local media anxiously.

The runway at Muan airport will be closed until later this week, authorities said, as investigators probe the cause of the crash.

One heart-wrenching screenshot of the final Kakao Talk message exchange between a passenger and their family has been widely reported in local media. 

The message from the parent and passenger reads: "Wait, a bird is stuck in the wing. Unable to land now... Should I leave a will?"

It was the last message, sent at 9:01 am. 

Their child replies: "Why can't I make a call with you?". It was delivered at 9:37 am and has remained unread.