28 Bodies Recovered After Mid-Air Collision in Washington DC
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Synopsis
On January 30, rescue teams recovered 27 bodies from an American Airlines flight and one from a Black Hawk helicopter involved in a tragic mid-air collision near Reagan National Airport in Washington DC, with no survivors believed to be found.
Key Takeaways
- 27 bodies from the American Airlines flight retrieved.
- One body recovered from the Black Hawk helicopter.
- Collision occurred near Reagan National Airport.
- Rescue efforts ongoing with no survivors expected.
- Two Russian figure skaters confirmed among the flight's passengers.
Washington, Jan 30 (NationPress) Rescue teams have successfully retrieved 27 bodies from the American Airlines aircraft and one body from the US Army’s Black Hawk helicopter following a mid-air collision, as reported by officials early Thursday. They have expressed doubt regarding the possibility of any survivors.
The flight, American Eagle Flight 5342, was transporting 60 passengers along with four crew members, while the helicopter was carrying three service personnel.
According to D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly, who spoke at a news conference on Thursday, 'At this point, we don't believe there are any survivors from this accident.' The recovery efforts have yielded 27 bodies from the plane and one body from the helicopter.
The aircraft, which departed from Wichita in Kansas, was on approach to Reagan National Airport in Washington DC when both the plane and helicopter fell into the Potomac River. The plane was shattered into fragments while the helicopter was discovered upside down in the water.
President Donald Trump made a statement saying, 'I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.'
Rescue helicopters illuminated the river with floodlights as boats and rescuers searched for both survivors and bodies.
The collision occurred around 8:47 pm on Wednesday.
The Army helicopter was identified as a UH-60 Black Hawk, engaged in a training exercise, according to US military officials. It belonged to Bravo Company of the 12th Aviation Battalion, operating from Davison Army Airfield at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
Reports confirm that two notable former Russian figure skaters were among the passengers on the flight, as stated by the Kremlin. They are Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov did not disclose their names during a briefing but confirmed their presence when questioned. He also indicated that there may have been additional Russian nationals on the plane.
'There were other of our fellow citizens there as well,' he stated.
Shishkova and Naumov are celebrated for winning gold at the 1994 Figure Skating World Championship representing Russia. The Washington Post reported that the couple has been residing in the United States since at least 1998, where they have been involved in coaching young ice skaters.
