Workers excavate soil near the concrete localizer mount at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province's Muan-gun on Monday, as the search for remains of victims of the Dec. 29 Jeju Air crash resumes. [Yonhap]
Workers excavate soil near the concrete localizer mount at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province's Muan-gun on Monday, as the search for remains of victims of the Dec. 29 Jeju Air crash resumes. [Yonhap]

The search for remains of victims of the Dec. 29 Jeju Air disaster at Muan International Airport resumed Monday after being suspended when carcinogens were detected at the site.

The Aircraft and Railway Accident Investigation Board launched on-site recovery operations at the crash scene that day, 35 days after work was halted when cadmium, a Class 1 carcinogen, was found in soil near the concrete localizer mount.

Monday's search focused on a 476-square-meter contaminated zone around the concrete mount where cadmium and other substances were detected following a jet fuel leak.

Workers from a private specialist firm, equipped with protective gear, excavated soil to a depth of 30 centimeters and used specialized equipment to separate the earth from objects believed to be human remains.

Previously, workers had sifted soil by hand through an 8-millimeter mesh screen. The new operation uses equipment fitted with a finer 5-millimeter mesh to improve detection.

Soil between 30 centimeters and 1 meter deep will be separately excavated and removed for decontamination.

Authorities plan to complete the search and cleanup of the contaminated zone this month, then expand the search radius at the crash site beginning next month.

Earlier, authorities conducted an additional search of the crash site from April 13 to May 11, recovering 1,446 objects believed to be human remains.

Of those, 233 objects collected between April 13 and April 16 underwent DNA analysis, and 195 were confirmed as remains belonging to 64 victims.

A representative of the Jeju Air Disaster Bereaved Families Council said the search should proceed swiftly and thoroughly, warning that the approaching monsoon season and worsening weather could make the work increasingly difficult as time passes.

“호르무즈 통행료 없이 개방…250억弗 이란 동결자산 해제” [미-이란 종전]

“호르무즈 통행료 없이 개방…250억弗 이란 동결자산 해제” [미-이란 종전]

미국과 이란이 전쟁 종식을 위한 양해각서(MOU) 체결을 앞두고 있는 가운데 합의문 초안과 최종안의 윤곽이 잇따라 공개됐다. 양측은 호르무즈 해협을 즉시 개방하고 이란
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