Asiana Airlines apologizes for accident

Asiana Airlines, South Korea's second largest carrier, has apologized for the crash landing in San Francisco. The airline says it's working hard to respond to the accident.

A show of deep apology from the top leader of Asiana Airlines.

"I express my extreme regret to the passengers, family, and all citizens for this accident. I bow my head and offer my deepest apologies," president of Asiana Airlines Yoon Young-Doo said.

Yoon said the two victims who died in the crash were female Chinese teenagers, who had been seated at the back of the aircraft.

The airline said it didn't believe the fatal crash was caused by mechanical failure.

However, Asiana's president declined to comment directly on whether the crash was due to pilot error.

The South Korean civil aviation industry has long been a focus of criticism.

The media has complained in the past that the country's supervision over airlines has been loose, with cases frequently emerging of pilots working after drinking.

In May 2011, a pilot with Asiana Airlines failed a random on-site alcohol test right at the flight's boarding gate. It was the third incident of its kind in a year.

Such misbehavior has also been found at other airlines in the country, like Korean Air.

Business insiders say the limited number of qualified pilots in South Korea has made it hard to demand stricter regulations, such as routine alcohol checks.

After the fatal crash, South Korean President Park Geun-hye expressed her sympathy to the passengers and their family members. Park said her government will make efforts to deal with the aftermath of the incident and provide whatever assistance is needed.