UPDATED: At least two dead in San Francisco airport jet crash: Terror after 'tail snapped off Boeing 777 on landing' and it burst into flames

A Boeing 777 plane carrying 291 crash landed at San Francisco airport this afternoon reportedly killing at least two passengers and injuring 61.

The tail of the Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 flight from South Korea was ripped off in the tragic accident around 11.30am PDT and a huge blaze tore through the plane which onlookers described as spinning around on impact.

Horrific photographs of the damage emerged moments after the crash as well as cellphone videos of the plane as it spun out of control. At least two of those on-board were killed with a further 61 injured, local broadcaster KTVU.COM reported.

A San Francisco General Hospital official told the Associated Press that at least 10 people were in a critical condition including two children and eight adults. Six of the patients are female and four are male. San Francisco Fire Department Chief Joanne Hayes-White said during a press conference Saturday evening that 190 people used emergency slides and walked away from the wreck. However, she added that at least 60 people remain unaccounted for at this time, but they are not presumed dead. 

Of the 190 people who left the wrecked plane to safety, 82 have been transported to hospitals in San Francisco and San Mateo with injuries ranging from abrasions to fractures and possible internal damage. According to Asiana Airlines, 141 of the passengers aboard Flight 214 are Chinese, 77 are South Korean, 61 are American and one is Japanese. 

‘Our thoughts and prayers are with passengers. We are deeply saddened by this incident,’ said San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee during the news briefing. 

A class of vacationing school children were on board while one passenger relayed what happened to a relative via a plane phone, according to CBS San Francisco. Sixteen crew members were on board the craft.

 Crash: Two passengers dies in the crash: This pictures was tweeted by Samsung executive David Eun who survived the crash

This aerial photo shows the wreckage of the Asiana Flight 214 airplane after it crashed at the San Francisco International Airport

Tail snapped off: The plane that was carrying 291 passengers is missing its tail section

A fire gutted the aircraft cabin after the tail snapped off the plane on landing. The Boeing 777 skidded along the runway

Disaster: It is not known what caused the crash but eyewitnesses reported seeing the plane come down tail-first before the runway

Fatal crash: At least two people have been confirmed dead in the crash at San Francisco International Airport this morning, according to local reports

Major accident: The plane which may have been carrying up to 450 passengers crash landed at San Francisco today

Landing: The plane failed to land safely and witnesses described watching the tail and then the wings being ripped off as it hurtled along the runway on its belly

Tail snapped: Onlookers said that the plane's tail snapped off when the plane crashed down near where the runway meets the water at the airport

Several other passengers managed to escape unscathed and could be seen fleeing down emergency inflatable slides. A U.S. Coast Guard team was also dispatched to search the nearby water. It wasn't immediately clear what happened to the plane as it was landing, but some eyewitnesses said the aircraft seemed to lose control and that the tail may have hit the ground.

Audio recordings of conversations between the airport's control tower and Flight 214 crew members suggested that those on the ground knew there was some sort of problem, promising that 'emergency vehicles are responding.'

'We have everyone on their way,' the air traffic controller said, according to LiveATC.net, a website that provides air traffic control audio, CNN reported. However, when the plane ditched down near the water, no fire trucks were there to meet the flight, raising questions about the state of radio equipment aboard the Boeing 777.

Intact: The plane that ended up crashing in San Francisco was an Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 similar to the one in the photo

Flight plan: This shot from the flight tracking site FlightAware shows the departure and expected arrival times of the Asiana plane

Sheared off: Investigators pass the detached tail and landing gear of Asiana Flight 214

Unsettling news: San Francisco Fire Department Chief Joanne Hayes-White (right) said that at least 60 passengers remain unaccounted for 

NTSB officials have said that at this point, it is too early to tell what exactly happened on board the aircraft. Among the questions that the NTSB 'go team' will have to answer is whether a human error on the part of the pilot played a part in the crash.   

A huge smoke cloud could be seen for miles from the site of San Francisco International and tourists in the airport terminal and on waiting flights could only look on in horror as the plane spun across the runway on its belly.

During a short news briefing in Washington DC just before 6pm, NTSB Chairwoman Debbie Hersman said that three members of an investigative team will be arriving on the scene of the crash later this evening to begin the probe.

Lucky escape: An elderly woman in a wheelchair is seen talking to paramedics (left) after getting off the crashed aircraft (right)

A young passenger from the crashed Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 talks to the press at San Francisco International Airport before being interrupted by the police and escorted to a waiting room designated for families and friends of passengers

Charred remains: An airliner passes the wreckage of an Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 at San Francisco International Airport

Disaster area: This aerial photo shows the wreckage of the Asiana Flight 214 airplane, right, after it crashed, as another plane approaches at the San Francisco International Airport

Stranded: Hermann Heider, from left, sits next to Alphonse Roig, wife Christine Roig, and their daughters Marine, 15, and Lara, 12, as they wait for news on their British Airways flight after Asiana Flight 214 crash

Waiting game: Bob Merberg, foreground, sits with son Oren, 19, center, and daughter Maya, 16, after their flight to Rochester, New York was canceled after Asiana Flight 214 crashed

The official also said that the investigation into the crash will likely involve representatives from Boeing and South Korea. FBI Special Agent David Johnson, who is leading the investigation, said: ‘At this point in time there is no indication of terrorism. We currently have all our resources to assist.’

Onlookers said much of the tail came off in the crash while others reported seeing the plane's fuselage spinning around as it journeyed across the concourse. 

The entire ceiling of the plane was destroyed in the blaze that immediately followed. Emergency workers rushed to its aid and doused it with white foam to try and control the flames. They were able to help those who were miraculously able to escape the wreckage and were seen fleeing down emergency slides. According to an excerpt of the radio recorded at the airport tower the plane was cleared to lane at 18.21, just over a minute later the flight called in and appears to have called for emergency assistance. 

Witnesses spoke of their horror.

'The plane started coming in at an odd angle, there was a huge bang and you could see the cloud of huge black smoke,' Kate Belding, told the broadcaster.

Response: A huge emergency response has been launched with firefighters and paramedics rushing to assist those on board

Near the water: The plane crashed just before reaching the runaway just beyond the shoreline

'It was a horrible thud,' Kelly Thompson, who saw it unfold from the parking lot of the Westin Hotel added. 'The airliner bounced and then slid to a stop on the runway.'

'It didn't manage to straighten out before hitting the runway,' Stephanie Turner, who was in a nearby hotel and witnessed the flight told ABC News. 'So the tail of the plane hit the runway, and it cartwheeled and spun and the tail broke off...I mean we were sure that we had just seen a lot of people die. It was awful.

'And it looked like the plane had completely broken apart,' she said. 'There were flames and smoke just billowing.'

Danielle Wells tweeted: 'I just saw a plane crash start to finish. I can't stop crying, I can't believe this.' One witness Jennifer Sorgen said: 'It hit the end of the runway by the water and the tail broke off at that point. It continued down the runway on its belly then proceeded to make 360 spin.'

An onlooker named Kristina Stapchuck told CNN it looked like the tires split and the plane leaned back on the tail before the tail broke off. Others described it as 'cartwheeling' across the runway.

Wreckage: According to local reports two were killed in the crash of a large passenger jet flying into San Francisco from South Korea

Asiana flight: The passenger jet crash landed after seemingly suffering no issues while in the air

Debris: Bits of the large 777 were thrown from the plane

One witness told CNN that there didn't seem to be any preparations for a crash landing before the plane came in suggesting it was an issue that only emerged on landing. 

The weather conditions were also described as ideal for San Francisco airport which can often be blighted with fog and poor visibility. 

Luckily no other standing planes were caught in the accident despite dozens waiting to take off from the major airport. The plane departed Incheon airport near South Korea's capital around 10 hours ago and was due to land at 9.45am on the West Coast. All flights in and out of San Francisco were temporarily cancelled with several being diverted to nearby Oakland International. At 2.30pm PDT the airport said it was looking to open two runways to allow limited arrivals and departures. 

Airport officials urged travelers to check their flight status online. 

Face CEO Sheryl Sandberg was supposed to be on the flight but decided to change her flight last minute so she could use air miles on a United flight instead, according to her post on Facebook.

'Taking a minute to be thankful and explain what happened. My family, colleagues Debbie Frost, Charlton Gholson and Kelly Hoffman and I were originally going to take the Asiana flight that just crash-landed. We switched to United so we could use miles for my family's tickets. Our flight was scheduled to come in at the same time, but we were early and landed about 20 minutes before the crash.'

Scroll Down for Video 

Crash landing: The plane pictured on the runway at San Francisco airport

Smoke cloud: Smoke from the plane crash could be seen for miles

David Eun, the executive vice president of Samsung, was on the flight when it crashed and posted on Twitter minutes later. 'I just crash landed at SFO. Tail ripped off. Most everyone seems fine. I'm ok. Surreal...' he wrote.

Asiana is a South Korean airline, second in size to national carrier Korean Air. It has recently tried to expand its presence in the United States, and joined the oneWorld alliance, anchored by American Airlines and British Airways. The 777-200 is a long-range plane from Boeing. The twin-engine aircraft is one of the world's most popular long-distance planes, often used for flights of 12 hours or more, from one continent to another. The airline's website says its 777s can carry between 246 to 300 passengers.

The last time a large U.S. airline lost a plane in a fatal crash was an American Airlines Airbus A300 taking off from JFK in 2001.

Smaller airlines have had crashes since then. The last fatal U.S. crash was a Continental Express flight operated by Colgan Air, which crashed into a house near Buffalo, N.Y. on Feb. 12, 2009. The crash killed all 49 people on board and one man in a house.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team of investigators to San Francisco to probe the crash. NTSB spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said Saturday that NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman would head the team.

Story by:
Katie Davies and Snejana Faberov, Daily Mail 

They've had a ruff time! Adorable puppies bred on illegal dog farm found stuffed into car boot bound for Britain (but don't worry, the poor things are alright now)

These adorable puppies had more than a stroke of luck after being rescued from a nightmare journey at the hands of illegal dog smugglers. Police in Ireland seized around 50 of the dogs found in boxes stuffed into the back of two cars in Dublin on Tuesday. It's believed they were bred illegally on an Irish puppy farm and were destined for the UK. Officers arrested two men in their 20s and 30s at the scene under suspicion of committing animal cruelty.

Brian Gillen, chief executive of the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, urged the public to be vigilant when buying a pup. 'Do not buy from the boot of a car or a van, and always arrange to meet the puppy with its parents at the breeders home. 'The conditions the mother is living in is a good indication of the health and welfare of the animals,' said Mr Gillen. The men were arrested on Tuesday when police searched the vehicles which were stopped in the Coolock area of Dublin.

Boxed in: The puppies include around 25 Jack Russells, cocker and springer spaniels, and terrier, beagle and Labrador breeds

Several of the puppies are now in special care because they were too young when taken away from their mothers

Officers from the DSPCA took the pups into quarantine and safety, after they were discovered in boxes in the back of both vehicles. The dogs include around 25 Jack Russells, cocker and springer spaniels, and terrier, beagle and Labrador breeds. They were all given a veterinary check-up and placed in secure accommodation.

The animals have a number of conditions such as mange, ear mites, fleas, eye infections and parasitic infections, the DSPCA said. Several of the puppies are now in special care because they were too young when taken away from their mothers. Many of them also had their tails docked and claws removed. 

None of the puppies will be available for new homes until DSPCA inspectors have concluded the animal cruelty investigation

Officers from the DSPCA took the pups into quarantine and safety, after they were discovered in boxes in the back of both vehicles

Police have arrested two men in their 20s and 30s at the scene under suspicion of committing animal cruelty

The DSPCA said the discovery is a further reminder of the importance for Ireland to push through legislation making it easier to prevent animal cruelty and to prosecute offenders.

Making the microchipping of all dogs compulsory is one of the organisation's biggest goals, a spokesman said. None of the puppies will be available for new homes until DSPCA inspectors have concluded the animal cruelty investigation. The two men arrested at the scene are said to be in their 20s and 30s. They were taken to Coolock Garda Station in Dublin and have since been released. 

The puppies were suffering from a number of infections and had ear mites, fleas and mange

"This is really sad... The things dogs have to go through..."

Story by: Leon Watson, Daily Mail.

'I was robbed of my childhood' Rape victim, 17, speaks out about five years of sexual abuse by her stepfather

A brave teenager has spoken out about the sex abuse she suffered 
at the hands of her stepfather, a leading RAF serviceman. Danii Wiblin, has waived her right to anonymity to reveal how she was repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted by Alan Harrison, 43, for more than five years. The brave 17-year-old has told how she summoned up the courage to finally go to police in January this year and hopes her story will encourage other victims of abuse to do the same.

Abused: Danii Wiblin, 17, (left) suffered five years of horrific sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather Alan Harrison (right)

Miss Wiblin, who lives near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, opened her heart after paedophile Harrison was jailed for 12 years earlier this month. He admitted 11 child sex offences, including raping his step-daughter nine times and making indecent pictures of the attacks.

The horrifying catalogue of abuse began when Harrison was stationed in Oxfordshire, before moving to RAF Honington, Suffolk.

Harrison used to give Miss Wiblin alcohol and 20 cigarettes every time they had sex, his trial at Ipswich Crown Court heard. He even bought her a sex toy and underwear, the court was told, as he bombarded the schoolgirl with texts and phone calls. Miss Wiblin, who was just 11 when the abuse began, said last night that she did not feel as though she had a childhood as a result of the abuse. 'It was taken away from me when I was 11-and-a-half,' she said.

Brave: Miss Wiblin (pictured) spoke out after Harrison was jailed for 12 years earlier this month

The teenager said she felt as though the abuse had robbed her of her innocence. 'I thought it was about time to live the remainder of my life and not let it be ruined by him,' she said.

The courageous youngster revealed that at one point she turned to drink and drugs to help her deal with the mental effects of the abuse she suffered.

'I was smoking at 11,' she said.

Miss Wiblin said that she had contacted the police about the abuse at the age of 13 but that no-one believed her.

'I felt so alone that I dropped the allegations,' she said. Miss Wiblin went back to Suffolk Police in January this year but she revealed that Harrison tried to stop her revealing the truth for a second time.

'He was texting me while I was giving my (police) interview,' she said.

Miss Wiblin is full of praise for the officers who dealt with her case, particularly PC Lindsay Poole, of Suffolk's child protection team.

'I didn't think she was going to believe what I was saying, but she couldn't tell me enough that she believed me. Then Detective Inspector Adrian Randall came into the room and said "I believe you; we all believe you".'

She said the pain she was feeling eased for that split second 'because I was believed.' 'It felt like I wasn't alone after all those years of feeling alone,' she said.

After revealing what happened to the police, she said she began to go 'downhill' emotionally and 'started to feel guilty.'

'How I managed to deal with things was to write notes to myself about my feelings,' she said. 'After a while I stopped that and was suicidal.

'I did a lot of things to hurt myself. That was the wake-up call I needed. She said she now puts all the blame 'and any thought that it was my fault - on to him and it got me through it.'

'I said on (the police) video that despite how much I hate him, I don't really hate him. I hate what he has done to me.'

As the months went on, the traumatic legacy of the abuse continued with Ms Wiblin suffering dark, terrifying moments.

New life: Miss Wiblin has waived her right to anonymity and said she wanted to tell her devastating story to give other abuse victims the confidence to report their attackers 

The teenager described having terrible nightmares which stopped her from sleeping.

'I used to scream my eyes out,' she said. 'I was on anti-depressants. I had counselling throughout the case, and then my mental state started to pick up after about three months.'

She said she feels like she has a future now and thanked PC Poole and the other people who have supported her, for helping her pull through.

'If it wasn't for Lindsay Poole and the people around me I don't think I would be here now,' she said. 'But I have got everything now, and I'm starting from scratch.'

Miss Wiblin said she would eventually like to start a charity to help victims of abuse.

'Not just for sexual abuse,' she said, 'but for all [kinds of] abuse. So people have someone they can go to so they can speak about what is happening to them, and you can put them on the right path to the people they need to speak to in order to [get] help.

When she was going through her ordeal, Miss Wiblin said she did not feel she had anyone to talk to. Asked what advice she would give to other children suffering abuse, she said: 'Don't let your fear hold you back, because it was my fear that held me back.

'At the time I had thought I was alone and no-one else was going through the same thing. But if I can do it, others can do it.'

Courage: The teenager says that coming forward to report was the first step to rebuilding her life

Miss Wiblin said that others must not be afraid to speak out.

Sentencing Harrison, Judge David Goodin told him: 'You committed offences of unimaginable gravity in abusing her as you did repeatedly, sustainedly and systematically.

'This sexual activity was unprotected. It included, on occasion, the application of alcohol to ease the path to which you subjected her. It would be difficult, in my judgment, to imagine more serious offences against a little girl.'

Referring to the indecent images Harrison took of himself and Miss Wiblin together, Judge Goodin branded them 'an outrageous indignity for a little girl to deal with.'

As well as jailing him, the judge also made Harrison subject to a sexual offences prevention order without a time limit. He was also added to the sex offenders' register.

Story by: Daily Mail 

'People should stop staring and start learning': World's ‘ugliest woman’ gives courageous interview

Lizzie Velasquez was born without any adipose tissue, meaning she does not have body fat and cannot gain weight. The 23-year-old reveals she has been bullied by strangers online. Despite this she says she would not want to look like a beautiful celebrity. She has been ridiculed, stared at in the street and called 'the world's ugliest woman' by insensitive cyber bullies. 

But, after years of misery and self doubt, Lizzie Velasquez says she can finally shrug off the hurtful comments about her looks as 'just words'. Miss Velasquez, from Austin, Texas, was born without adipose tissue - meaning she has no body fat and, despite eating up to 60 small meals a day, remains at a delicate 4.4stone (58lbs).

Battle: Lizzie Velasquez says she has had to face being stared at and bullied because of her unusual looks

The rare condition still baffles doctors and is thought to affect just two other people worldwide. Miss Velazquez has now written a second book about her struggle to be accepted and hopes it will help others in a similar position. 

In Be Beautiful, Be You the 23-year-old college senior shares advice on being unique, how to make and keep good friends and how to deal with bullying and negativity. Speaking to Dr Drew Pinsky on Tuesday night about her experiences, Miss Velasquez said when cyber bullies first started attacking her online it was hard.

Rare: Miss Velasquez was born without any adipose tissue, meaning she has no body fat and, despite eating up to 60 small meals a day, remains at a delicate 4.4stone (58lbs)

THE SYNDROME SO RARE IT REMAINS UNDIAGNOSED

Lizzie Velasquez was born without adipose tissue, meaning she has no body fat and, despite eating up to 60 small meals a day, remains at a delicate 4.4stone (58lbs). Her syndrome is so rare that to this day it remains undiagnosed. Besides Miss Velasquez there are only two other people in the world known to suffer from the condition. The main symptom is the inability to gain weight. Miss Velasquez is also blind in one eye and has limited vision in the other.

The 23-year-old says her condition is particularly puzzling because it takes on aspects of other syndromes, including progeria. Miss Velasquez says she has the pointed nose, small mouth and ageing skin of someone with progeria but her syndrome is not though to be terminal. As she says on her website her condition is 'just one big mystery', but she remains hopeful that one day doctors will discover just what it is and how to treat it.

She told Dr Drew: 'I'm human... of course these things are going to hurt... (but) I'm not going to let those things define me.'

Eventually Miss Velasquez realised the people issuing the hurtful comments online were just cowards hiding behind a computer screen. 

'At the end of the day, these are just words,' Miss Velasquez told Dr Drew. 'If they are so proud, then they should show their face.'

When asked how she deals with being constantly stared at in the street Miss Velasquez said: 'I'm starting to want to go up to these people and introduce myself or give them my card and say, "Hi, I'm Lizzie - maybe you should stop staring and start learning".'

Miss Velasquez also revealed she does not have any desire to look like a beautiful celebrity. She said: 'I feel I'm really glad I don't look like the celebrities out there who are beautiful, because there are a lot of stereotypes attached to that. 

'People think "she's so pretty, she must be really dumb". Since I don't look like that it's better because people can get to know the real me.'

Miss Velasquez was born four weeks prematurely weighing just 2lb 10oz. Doctors found there was minimal amniotic fluid protecting her in the womb. 'They told us they had no idea how she could have survived,' Miss Velasquez's mother Rita, 45, a church secretary, said.

Dinner: Miss Velasquez says she has to eat high calorie food every 15-20 minutes to keep her energy level high 

'We had to buy dolls' clothes from the toy store because baby clothes were too big.' Doctors could not make a diagnosis so they prepared Miss Velasquez's parents for the worst.

'They told us she would never be able to walk, talk or have a normal life,' said her mother, who has two other children with Miss Velasquez's father Lupe - both children are of average height and weight. Despite the grim prognosis Miss Velasquez's brain, bones and internal organs developed normally but she was always very small.

At the age of two she was still only 15lbs - the same as the average five-month-old baby.

Born this way: Miss Velasquez, aged two, (left) and pictured a couple of years ago, right. The university student has never weighed more than 4.3stone. She went blind in one eye aged four

Born with two brown eyes, when Miss Velasquez was four the right began to cloud and change hue. Doctors then discovered she had gone blind in that eye.

'They still don't know why it happened but now I have one blue and one brown eye.' 

Miss Velasquez's case has fascinated doctors all over the world and she is part of a genetic study run by Professor Abhimanyu Garg at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Support: Miss Velasquez with her supportive family, mother Rita, father Lupe, brother Chris and sister Marima. No one else in her family has the syndrome

Professor Garg and his team now believe Miss Velasquez may have a form of Neonatal Progeroid Syndrome (NPS), which causes accelerated ageing, fat loss from the face and body, and tissue degeneration. People with PRS often have triangular and prematurely aged faces with a pointy nose. He said: 'I am aware of a small number of people that have similar conditions to Lizzie but each case is slightly different.

'We cannot predict what will happen to Lizzie in the future, as the medical community are yet to document older people with NPS.

'However Lizzie is lucky to have healthy teeth, organs and bones so the outlook is good. We will continue to study her case and learn from her.'

Miss Velasquez doesn't take medication but she relies on vitamin supplements and iron to stay healthy.  It is thought she should be able to conceive naturally without passing the condition to her children. 

Her new book is out on September 13.