2 Killed in Jet Crash at San Francisco Airport

An Asiana Airlines passenger jet carrying 307 people crashed upon landing at San Francisco International Airport Saturday, killing two Chinese people and injuring dozens of others on board, officials said. The Boeing 777 plane, which departed from Shanghai, China and stopped over at Incheon International Airport west of Seoul, was carrying 291 passengers and 16 crew members, according to the airliner, which is South Korea's second largest
. "Everyone has been accounted for," San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee told reporters. Seventy-seven South Koreans, 141 Chinese and 61 Americans were on board with the nationality of the remainder not confirmed yet. Both of the two killed in the crash were carrying Chinese passports, (Yonhap) news agency quoted officials as saying. The crash of Asiana flight 214 occurred at around 11:40 a.m. local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Local fire officials said in addition to the two deaths, dozens of others were injured and sent to nearby hospitals. Reportedly, at least five of them are critically injured. The exact cause of the accident was not known immediately either. Skies over the airport were relatively clear at the time of the accident. The law-enforcement authorities said there is no indication of any link to terrorism. "At this point in time there is no indication of terrorism involved. The FBI will be working closely with the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) to determine the cause of this incident," FBI special agent David Johnson said. Some experts say that technical glitches in the jet, produced in 2006, might have caused the crash. The NTSB dispatched a team of investigators to the airport to find out what triggered the crash. Boeing, the manufacturer of the 777-model jet, and South Korean aviation safety officials are also expected to help the probe.
 

Source: BNA