Treat the eyewitness reports with a big pinch of salt.
According to the US NTSB investigation into the AA A300 crash in New York, 30% of eyewitnesses reported the aircraft on fire in flight and another 30% were adamant that it was not!
Human nature causes people to embroider the story every time they retell it - we enjoy the attention - and I doubt that many/any eyewitnesses will have any aviation experience.
Investigators place almost no weight upon eyewitness statements - they work it out for themselves.
Sadly, how many times has an airliner go into the ground after the third attempt at an approach in poor weather? This is depressingly common and I doubt that this will be the last. At the risk of being Non-PC, it seems to be a phenomenon that affects the Far East and less developed nations more than the "West".
Two approaches is enough for anyone - give up and go somewhere with better weather.
And please................let's get rid of non-precision approaches at international airports. Surely ICAO, IATA, JAA, FAA, UN, IMF whatever can scrape together enough cash for a bundle of ILS transmitter?