'Should I make a will?' Passenger's last messages before South Korea plane crash

"A bird struck the wing, should I make a will?" These were the last few messages sent by one of the passengers onboard the ill-fated Jeju Air flight that met with a devastating crash at the Muan Airport in South Korea on Sunday morning.

The Boeing 737-800 plane, carrying 181 passengers and crew members, departed Bangkok and veered off the runway, reportedly with its landing gear closed, causing it to crash into a concrete fence at 9.07 am (local time).

As the rescue operations continued, a man waiting at the airport for a family member aboard the ill-fated flight revealed the chilling final messages he received before the crash, according to News1.

At approximately 9 am (local time), shortly before the accident, the passenger sent a message via KakaoTalk, an instant messaging platform, saying, "A bird struck the wing, and we can't land".

Concerned, the man waiting at the airport asked how long the situation had been ongoing. Just a minute later, the passenger responded with a haunting reply: "Just now. Should I make a will?"

Since then, all attempts to contact the passengers onboard the flight have been unsuccessful.

According to news agency AP, at least 176 deaths have been confirmed in what is touted to be the deadliest air accident ever in South Korea. Videos going viral on social media show the airliner belly-landing and veering off the runway, erupting in a fireball as it slammed into a wall.

Two crew members were rescued, and officials have suggested the rest on board are presumed dead.

According to Muan fire chief Lee Jung-hyun, the two crew members, a man and a woman, were rescued from the tail section of the burning plane. Investigators are examining bird strikes and weather conditions as possible factors.

The crash site was steeped in the smell of aviation fuel and blood, according to Reuters witnesses. Workers in protective suits and masks scoured the area, while soldiers searched the surrounding bushes.

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