South Korean authorities and investigators are looking into bird strikes and other technical and weather conditions as possible factors behind an airplane crash that killed at least 174 people, the transportation ministry said on Sunday (December 29).

The airliner belly-landed and veered off the runway at South Korea's Muan International Airport on Sunday morning, erupting in a fireball as it slammed into a wall.

READ: What we know about Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea

The transportation ministry said the control tower issued a bird strike warning before the crash occurred. However, they said more investigations are needed to confirm the cause of the incident, without specifying whether the flight struck any birds.

Sunday's incident, which involved a Jeju Air flight, was the worst air accident involving a South Korean airline in nearly three decades, according to ministry data.

(Production: Jisoo Kim, Heejung Jung)