Soldiers were still combing through wetlands near the airport — apparently looking for body parts — and an AFP reporter saw blood-stained seats and splatters of human remains on the ground near the wreckage.
“We estimate that we can reconstruct 80 to 90 percent of the bodies if given a period of 10 days,” the official said.
Relatives said they understood the process took time and that the bodies were “heavily damaged”, but were desperate for progress.
“We want the authorities to bring our loved ones back, even if they are only 80 percent intact,” Park Han-shin, who represents the victims’ relatives, told reporters.
“The temperature is rising rapidly, even though it is winter, which could lead to a situation where the remains decompose quickly,” he said, calling for stepped-up search efforts in the crash zone.
He also called on the officials to bring more refrigerated containers for the remains.
The anger of the grieving relatives was palpable the night of the accident, when Jeju Air’s CEO Kim E-bae, visited the families for the first time, bowing his head before them.
“With a heart full of sorrow, I express my condolences and sympathies to those who lost their lives in this accident. I also sincerely apologise to the bereaved families,” he said.
‘Save my daughter’
But video circulating online showed family members shouting at Kim asking him why he came so late — eleven hours after the accident.
“It only takes one hour and 40 minutes to get from Seoul to Gwangju by KTX, so what have you been doing? What are you trying to achieve by showing up only now?” yelled one family member.
