Of the 77 Chinese aboard Asiana Airlines flight 214, thirty-five Chinese students, including two teen girls who died in the crash in San Francisco on Saturday, were on route to a Christian school in Los Angeles for a three-weeks summer program, the school said on its website.
West Valley Christian School, in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, said the students were scheduled to arrive on Tuesday, but their next steps are not confirmed yet since this tragedy took place.
Ye Mengyuan and Wang Linjia are both 16-year-old and are students at Jiangshan Middle School in Zhejiang province bordering Shanghai, reported China Central Television, citing a fax from Asiana Airlines to the Jiangshan city government. The victims’ bodies were found outside the plane.
While uncertain of what the students’ next steps will be, the private school posted on its website, “We are certain that God knows and will help us care for them in this time of crisis.”
“Please join us as we learn how we to care for them. Gift cards to pay for missing items in luggage can be delivered to church and school offices. Sympathy cards and other gestures of care are welcomed.”
To remember the two girls who died from the group of 35, the school will be holding a prayer vigil Thursday 7 p.m. at the West Valley Christian Church and School. They prayed, “Dear Lord, give grace to their moms and dads, brothers and sisters. Give us wisdom and compassion as we care for our guests from China.”
West Valley Christian School was founded by West Valley Christian Church in 1978. The private school’s mission is “to provide excellence in education to our students and to inspire each one of them to seek Christ and His Kingdom.”
Asiana Airlines issued a statement that listed the number of passengers and their nationalities: 77 Korean citizens, 141 Chinese citizens, 61 U.S. citizens and 1 Japanese citizen.
Five people were in critical condition at San Francisco General Hospital, according to spokeswoman Rachael Kagan. She said a total of 52 people were treated for burns, fractures and internal injuries.
Three people were in critical condition at Stanford Hospital.
Apart from the host school and church, Christian churches in the San Francisco Bay Area prayed during Sunday services for the comfort of victims' family members, for those injured to receive the best medical treatment and recover speedily, and for God's provision for those who 'miraculously' walked away unharmed from this incident.
