Seoul, Dec 31 The remains of 174 of the 179 people killed in this week's Jeju Air plane crash have tentatively been identified, the land ministry said on Tuesday.
During a briefing for victims' families at Muan International Airport in the county 288 kilometres south of Seoul, the ministry said it is still checking to identify the remaining five victims.
"Of the 32 people who could not be identified by fingerprints, we identified 17 people in the first DNA test and 10 more in the second round," it said. "We are further confirming the remaining five due to DNA inconsistencies."
The bodies of four of the identified victims have been handed over to their families, and funeral arrangements have begun at their respective hometowns this day, according to officials.
Officials earlier said it could take up to 10 days for all the remains to be identified and delivered to the bereaved families as most of the bodies were severely charred, reports Yonhap news agency.
Authorities are preserving the remains of the victims in a temporary cold storage facility in a hangar at the Muan airport.
A team of US National Transportation Safety Board and Boeing officials also arrived at the scene earlier in the day to support South Korean authorities with the investigation.
Only two people, both flight attendants, survived after the plane belly-landed and crashed into a barrier on Sunday, killing 179 of the 181 people onboard.
Additionally, a special inspection to ensure the safety of military aircraft is underway as the defence ministry has ordered the military to examine all aircraft following the fatal Jeju Air crash, officials said Tuesday.
The Navy has kicked off a safety inspection that will run through Saturday to examine its aircraft, including the P-8A maritime patrol plane based on the Boeing 737-800 commercial jet.
The Navy completed its acquisition of six P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft in July to bolster its anti-submarine capabilities.
The Air Force has also launched an inspection of its aircraft, including the Peace Eye airborne control aircraft modelled after the Boeing 737-700 commercial plane.
On Monday, the government said it plans to conduct a safety inspection of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by domestic airlines following the Jeju Air plane crash Sunday in the southwestern county of Muan that claimed 179 lives.
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