School to Host Vigil for Plane Crash Victims

By Natalie Rivera

West Valley Christian School will host a prayer vigil Thursday in memory of the victims of Saturday's Asiana Airline crash in San Francisco. The two high school students who died were headed to the West Hills school.

The girls, Ye Meng Yuan and Wang Lin Jia, were traveling from Seoul with 35 other students to participate in a three to four-week summer program at West Valley Christian School, according to Kris Baron, the school's director of finances.

As investigators try to find the cause of the crash, San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault disclosed that he was investigating whether one of the two teenagers survived the crash but was run over by a rescue vehicle rushing to aid victims as the plane began to burn, according to the Associated Press.

[Read more about the girls and the investigation here]

Baron on Monday indicated that the surviving 35 students will not continue on to the school.

"The information that we've been given is that they're returning home," he said.

The prayer vigil, which is open to community members, will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday at the school, 22450 Sherman Way. An agenda has not yet been set, but school officials expect government representatives will likely speak.

The school is also accepting sympathy cards as well as gift cards to help replace lost luggage and valuables that went missing in the crash. Donations can be made on the school/chruch’s website at www.wvcch.org or in person in the front office.