An Asiana Airlines plane with 291 passengers onboard from Seoul, South Korea, crashed while landing on Saturday at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Two people were reportedly killed, 10 in critical condition, and 61 in total were injured.
The ten people critically injured, include eight adults and two children; they are being treated at the San Francisco General Hospital. The ten injured are all believed to be Korean speakers, according to SF General hospital spokesperson.
She said their injuries were extensive and included burns, fractures, and internal injuries, adding that their families would be brought to them from the flight.
Images from the scene showed smoke rising from the plane's fuselage with the emergency exits opened, and the plane's tail separated from the aircraft. Gaping holes could be seen in the roof of the plane's body, blackened by fire.
Witness Anthony Castorani told CNN that the plane flipped in a terrifying tableau as it touched down.
“You heard a pop, and you immediately saw a large, brief fireball,” he said. “At that moment, you could see that the aircraft was again starting to lift and it began to cartwheel.”
SFO said at 5:32 pm EST that two runways would be opening "shortly," and announced an hour later that they were up and running, reminding passengers to check flight statuses.
David Eun, a Samsung executive who was on board the plane, posted a photo online showing passengers leaving the wreckage.
Eun, tweeted after the crash: "Fire and rescue people all over the place. They're evacuating the injured. Haven't felt this way since 9/11.''
Later, Eun tweeted: "I'm fine. Most people are totally calm and trying to help. ... the majority of passengers seem OK.''
Asiana airline, founded in 1988, is a South Korean airline, second in size to national carrier Korean Air. It has recently tried to expand its presence in the United States, and joined the Star Alliance, which is anchored in the U.S. by United Airlines.
