The tragic Jeju Air plane crash at Muan Airport in South Korea has sparked widespread mourning in China as news of the disaster spreads rapidly online.
On Monday, keywords related to the Jeju Air crash ranked high in real-time search trends on China’s largest search engine, Baidu, and social media platform, Weibo.
On Weibo, the hashtag “#179DeadInKoreanPlaneFire” surpassed 810 million views within 12 hours of posting, claiming the top spot on trending topics.
Chinese netizens expressed interest in uncovering the causes of the tragedy, with hashtags like “#SmallMistakesLeadToBigProblems” gaining traction. News that another Jeju Air plane had to return due to landing gear issues just a day after the initial crash also drew significant attention.
Tragic stories of the victims are being shared widely on Chinese online platforms. Accounts include a family traveling to celebrate an elderly relative’s 80th birthday and a mother celebrating her recovery from cancer. Many netizens shared condolences, writing, “Although they are not our compatriots, it is heartbreaking to see so many lives lost in this disaster,” and, “We wish the victims eternal peace and remind ourselves to cherish every moment of life.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed his condolences regarding the Jeju Air crash. He stated that he was shocked to hear about the significant loss of life and extended his deepest condolences on behalf of the Chinese government and people to the victims and their families, along with wishes for a speedy recovery for the injured.
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