A passenger plane and a military helicopter crashed on Wednesday night near the Reagan National Airport, in Washington.
On the American Eagle plane – a subsidiary of American Airlines – 64 people were traveling, while in the Black Hawk helicopter three military did. After the collision, both devices fell to the Potomac River, according to press reports.
Until the morning of this Thursday the number of deaths had not been required and the lifeguards tried to find survivors in a search and rescue operation listed “very complex” due to the weather conditions and the place where the aircraft fell.
According to the CNNdeaths have been confirmed by the accident, although a figure has not been specified. Authorities cited by the medium point out that the plane is in pieces in the water and the helicopter is close. Fox He adds that the latter is in the reverse position.
A Blackhawk helicopter from the US army crashed with a passenger plane near Washington, they say defense officials.
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“It is a very complex operation. The conditions are extremely hard for lifeguards. It is cold and are dealing with relatively summary conditions. The wind is strong in the river, ”said John Donnelly, head of the Washington Emergency Service, aforementioned by EFE.
The mayor of Washington, Muriel Bowser, reported the deployment of a strong device with about 300 emergencies with firefighters, police cars and ambulances, as well as rescue boats and diving units, and lamented the losses for the tragedy.
For his part, the president of the Washington Metropolitan Airports, Jack Potter, confirmed that the authorities are in “rescue mode”, but said that the operation that is carried out at the place of the disaster will last “many hours” .
The wrecked ships
The plane, which was traveling with 60 passengers and four crew members on board, had left Wichita, Kansas, according to the airline. Among the passengers were athletes and artistic skating coaches, as well as relatives of these, as confirmed by the governing body of that sport in the American nation.
They returned to Washington from a national development, held together with the United States artistic skating championships in Wichita, confirmed the CNN. Several media claim that on the plane were Russia skaters.
Meanwhile, on board the helicopter were three soldiers on a training flight, according to the authorities. Seconds before the crash, Black Hawk pilot had told the air controller that he had the plane in sight.
In a publication about the accident, President Donald Trump criticized that the accident would not have been avoided. “Why didn’t the helicopter go up, down or turn? Why didn’t the control tower tell him what to do instead of asking if he saw the plane? This is a bad situation that seems to have been avoided, ”he said in his social truth network.
In a previous statement, Trump confirmed that he had been informed of the accident and said he was monitoring the situation. In addition, he thanked the work done by the lifeguards.
Sean Duffy, recently released as the Secretary of Transportation of the United States, said the president offered him “all support” after knowing the incident and announcement that the National Board of Transportation Security began an investigation of those succeeding.
Relatives of the people traveling on the aircraft have met in a waiting room of the Washington airport. According to a correspondent of the CNNamong the officials reigns a “gloomy” and “except a miracle” the fact aims to be the worst disaster in Washington in decades.
Due to the accident, Ronald Reagan airport will remain closed until noon this Thursday, while the search for victims and possible survivors are maintained.
