Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea's impeached president, extended his "deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies" to those killed and their family members.

"I am overwhelmed with grief and sorrow," he said in a statement on Facebook.

“I urge everyone to prioritize the safety of firefighters and all rescue personnel, even amidst this urgent situation," he said, adding, "I trust that the government will do its utmost to respond to the accident and support the victims."

A photo published by local news agency Newsis showed a flock of migratory birds near the Muan International Airport where the airplane crash-landed.

South Korean officials have said the pilots attempted to land at an alternate runway after calling a mayday alert following a bird strike.

The country's National Fire Agency has confirmed the deaths of 177 people. Two people remain unaccounted for, and two survived.

The 64-year-old grandmother stood at the departure hall of Muan International Airport, waiting to hear the fate of her grandchild, son and daughter-in-law.

"The child is 9 years old, and my daughter-in-law works for Jeju Air," said Choi Ok-Soon in an interview with the Newsis News Agency. "Since it was her day off, they went on a trip together," she said.

Choi had last heard from her son last night around 11 p.m., she said. "My son contacted me saying, ‘We’re departing, too,’ and told me, ‘Mom, have a good time as well.’"

"That was the last message,” Choi said, adding: "I wish at least one of them — whether it’s my daughter-in-law, son or grandchild — had survived."

The deaths of 174 people have been confirmed by the National Fire Agency.

The chief executive of Jeju Air, Kim E-bae, apologized over the crash and extended his condelences to the families who lost their loved ones.

“Regardless of the cause, I take full responsibility as the CEO,” Kim was quoted by South Korea's Yonhap news agency as saying.

Kim and his colleagues bowed in an apology at a news conference.

The National Fire Agency has confirmed a death toll of 167 so far. Officials are raising the death toll as victims arrive at the morgue, and the number is expected to rise.

Of the victims, 79 were men, 77 were women, and 11 others weren't immediately identifiable by gender.

The Jeju Air Boeing 787 has been "completely destroyed by fire," Joo Jong-wan, the director of the Aviation Policy Division at South Korea's transport ministry, said at a briefing.

So far, two people — both cabin crew members — have been rescued, Joo said, and the runway at Muan International Airport will be closed until at least the morning of Jan. 1. Among the passengers were two were Thai nationals, he added.

Joo said investigators have retrieved both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorders, which will be key to providing insights into the last moments of the fatal landing.

The full investigation could take between six months and three years, he added.