Chinese citizens today mourned two teenage girls killed after a South Korean

Chinese citizens today mourned two teenage girls killed after a South Korean passenger jet crashed at San Francisco airport as survivors recounted harrowing details of their flight.

Chinese nationals made up 141 of the 291 passengers aboard the Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 which burst into flames after it landed short of the runway, injuring 182.

The two girls were middle school students from east China’s Zhejiang province according to a preliminary report, state news agency Xinhua reported. Earlier, state broadcaster CCTV said they were born in 1996 and 1997.

The report quoted Asiana Airlines as saying the information was based on their boarding passes but their identities have not yet been confirmed by DNA testing.

It added the two were among a group of 30 students who were flying to the United States along with their teachers to take part in a summer camp.

Another group of 30 students and six teachers from China’s northern Shanxi province were also aboard the same flight, Xinhua quoted officials as saying.

As of Sunday afternoon the Chinese consulate in San Francisco had confirmed the safety of 70 Chinese nationals and posted their names on its website.

Source AP