One Chinese victim of Asiana crash confirmed killed by vehicle

A Chinese teenager victim of the Asiana flight 214, which crash landed at San Francisco International Airport on July 6, died of multiple injuries consistent with being run over by a fire vehicle, local officials said Friday.

San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault and San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said at a news conference that the victim, a 16-year-old Chinese girl named Ye Mengyuan, survived the Boeing 777-200's air crash but then was struck and killed by an emergency response vehicle rushing to douse the blazing jet.

"Obviously this is very difficult news for us," Hayes-White said. "We are in the business of saving lives."

Foucrault added that the finding was based upon examination of internal hemorrhaging of the girl, which ruled out chances she was already dead when hit by the truck.

Asiana flight 214, bound for the United States from the Republic of Korea (ROK), clipped the runway upon landing and burst into flames at the San Francisco airport, with parts spreading on the runway.

Aboard the plane were a total of 291 passengers, among whom 141 were Chinese. The crash caused two immediate deaths -- Ye and another Chinese middle-school student -- and left 182 passengers injured.

They were part of a group of 34 students and teachers traveling from Jiangshan city, Zhejiang Province, to attend a summer camp in the United States.

A team of federal safety investigators headed for San Francisco on July 7 to piece together what led to the accident. But no results have been announced yet.

On July 12, a third Chinese girl teenager, hospitalized after the Asiana Airlines crash, died of severe injuries.

The girl, according to San Francisco General Hospital, had been in critical condition since her hospitalization.

Delegates of Asiana Airlines, South Korean No. 2 flag carrier, went to China on July 15 to convey their apology and hold talks with the Chinese parents over compensations.

The two-hour-long talks, however, failed to produce any positive outcomes. Many Chinese parents were not satisfied with the responses and replies from Asiana.

The parents argued that their children have suffered from psychological trauma and the accident may cast long-lasting shadow on their future life.

Offering condolences for Ye's tragic death, a spokesman with the Chinese Consulate-General in San Francisco said on Friday "we are saddened to learn that Mengyuan 'died of multiple blunt injuries that are consistent with being run over by a motor vehicle.'"

The spokesman urged the U.S. side to deal properly with the aftermath of Mengyuan's death and investigate and affix responsibility for this tragic accident.

The Chinese consulate will continue to provide assistance for the families of the decedents for their legitimate rights and interests, the spokesman added.