Boeing 777 crashes in landing at San Francisco, 141 Chinese aboard

An Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 is pictured after crashed landing in this KTVU image at San Francisco International Airport in California, July 6, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

An Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 rests on the tarmac after crash landing at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, California July 6, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

An Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 passenger plane flying from Seoul, the Republic of Korea (ROK), on Saturday crashed while landing and burned partly at San Francisco International Airport, California of the United States, with parts spread on the runway.

The Federal Aviation Administration of the United States confirmed that the plane, bound for San Francisco from Seoul, was on flight 214. The accident was technically termed as "crash landing."

One hundred and forty-one Chinese citizens were among the 291 passengers aboard the Asiana Airlines plane that crash landed at San Francisco airport on Saturday, diplomats with the Chinese Consulate General said.

The Chinese citizens included a teacher and 34 high school students, the diplomats said.

Witnesses recalled that the plane screeched at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) before coming to a stop. The Boeing 777-200 then veered off the runway and let out thick smoke. It eventually rested at an area between two runways, with its tail and left engine gone, and parts of the upper section of passenger compartment burned out.

Pictures posted on some websites, presumably by passengers, showed people were leaving the plane when it touched down.

Local TV footage also showed that the top of the fuselage of the plane was charred and left open, its tail was also gone, but the two wings appeared intact.

A U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) team of experts will be in San Francisco to investigate the Asiana Flight 214 crash earlier on Saturday, NTSB Chairwoman Debbie Hersman announced a press conference held in Washington D.C. in the same day.

Before leaving for San Francisco, Hersman also said that Asiana, the ROK air carrier, and Boeing, the aircraft maker, will be working together to probe into the incident.

Asiana confirmed in Seoul that the Boeing 777-200 carried 291 passengers and 16 crew members.

Authorities ruled out signs of terrorism in the accident.

All flights in and out of the San Francisco International Airport were canceled temporarily. They were diverted Los Angeles International airport.

No further information, as for details such as the casualties of the accident and the cause of the accident, is available at the moment.

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