Tragedy struck the runway of San Francisco’s International Airport Saturday morning when Asiana Airlines Flight 214 traveling from Seoul, South Korea crashed and burst into flames. Ye Mengyuan — 16 year old Chinese girl — was one of the two fatalities of the unfortunate accident. The other victim was Mengyuan’s classmate, Wang Linjia.
Here are the facts you need to know about Ye Mengyuan:
1. She Had Recently Celebrated Her 16 Birthday
According to ABC7, Mengyuan had recently celebrated her 16 birthday before boarding the 214 flight to San Francisco.
2. She Was a Student in a Highly Competitive Middle School
A total of 29 students and five teachers had set off from the highly competitive school in Zhejiang, an affluent eastern coastal province.
3. Her Body Was Found Outside the Wreckage
Gruesome details of Ye Mengyuan final moments were revealed when it was reported that the bodies of the two deceased Chinese nationals were found outside of the wreckage on the runway.
4. Remarkably, 305 Others on the Plane Survived the Crash
Although the death of these two young Chinese students is nothing short from tragic, many experts are astounded that the other 305 people on board survived the fiery accident. While 182 of them were taken to hospitals with injuries ranging from spinal fractures to bruises, another 123 managed to escape unharmed. Some jumped out or slid down emergency chutes with luggage in hand.
5. She Was Traveling to California to Attend Summer Camp
As reported by the New York Times, the girls were among 30 high school students from the town of Jiangshan in Zhejiang province who were planning to attend a 15-day English language program at California universities. The school has been organizing similar summer trips for over a decade for students who typically pay about $5,000 to attend.