19 Bodies Fished Out Of River After Jet-Chopper Collide Midair Near Washington [Watch]

Washington: At least 19 were killed after an American Airlines passenger flight—carrying 60 passengers and 4 crew members— collided midair with a US Army helicopter on Thursday. The passenger flight crashed into a river on its way to the Reagan National Airport near Washington. According to reports, eighteen bodies were recovered from the Potomac River. Multiple agencies have been roped in for a search and rescue operation.

The passenger flight had departed from Wichita in Kansas, according to the American Airlines. The flight was operated by PSA Airlines.

All take offs and landings from the airport near Washington has been suspended in the wake of the incident, officials said at the time of filing of this report around 10.30am (IST). The incident occurred in one of the most closely monitored airspace in the world, around five kilometers south of the White House and the Capitol.

According to an US Army official, quoted by India Today, one of its helicopters, which had three soldiers onboard, was involved in the crash. A video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Centre showed the aircraft turning into a fireball.

US President Donald Trump said he was briefed on the ‘terrible accident.’ In a statement, he thanked first responders for their “incredible work.” He also mentioned that he was “monitoring the situation and would provide more details as they arise”. “May God Bless their souls,” he added.

“While we don’t yet know how many on board were lost, we know there are fatalities,” Senator Ted Cruz wrote on X.