Over 300 people on flight OZ214, however, miraculously escaped from the burned-out wreckage of the South Korean airlines' long-range Boeing 777-200, using evacuation slides.
Asiana, second in size to national carrier Korean Air, has confirmed two female Chinese teenagers have died.
Yoon Young-doo, the president of Asiana Airlines, said the two passengers were in their teens and were believed to have been seated toward the back of the plane.
"When we had arrived on scene the chutes had already been deployed, and we observed multiple numbers of people coming down the chutes and walking to their safety, which was a good thing," she said.
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At least five people were listed in critical condition at hospitals, including at San Francisco General Hospital, the region's main trauma centre.
Three Indians were also on board the ill-fated flight of Asiana Airlines from Seoul to San Francisco.
Indian Ambassador to South Korea Vishnu Prakash said that there were three Indian passengers on board the plane and one of them suffered collar bone fracture.
Vedpal Singh, who was sitting in the middle of the aircraft and survived the crash with his family, said there was no forewarning from the pilot or any crew members before the plane touched down hard and he heard a loud sound.
"It's miraculous we survived," Singh, who suffered a fractured collarbone and had his arm was in a sling, was quoted as saying by the US media.
The flight originated in Shanghai, China and stopped in Seoul before crashing at San Francisco International Airport yesterday morning.
It was not immediately clear what caused this plane to lose control on a clear summer day.