- विज्ञापन -
Washington: Rescue teams have recovered the remains of all 67 individuals who perished in the mid-air collision between a helicopter and a passenger plane in Washington last week, according to reports from the Unified Command cited by US media. Of these, 66 remains have been positively identified, as reported by Xinhua news agency and ABC News.
The Unified Command stated that crews are still working to clear debris, including significant pieces of the aircraft, from the Potomac River, with operations expected to continue through Tuesday evening. Unloading of the wreckage is anticipated to begin on Wednesday, contingent on favorable environmental and tidal conditions. Following this, efforts will shift to recover wreckage from the Black Hawk helicopter.
The incident involved a passenger jet with 64 people on board that collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, resulting in both aircraft plunging into the icy Potomac River. This marks the deadliest aviation accident in Washington since 1982.
An investigation is currently underway, led by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Earlier statements from the Washington Fire Chief indicated that the likelihood of survivors from the mid-air collision is minimal.
“We are now transitioning from a rescue to a recovery operation, and we do not believe there are any survivors,” said John Donnelly, chief of the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, during a press conference at the airport on Thursday morning.
Donnelly noted that at 8:48 p.m. local time on Wednesday, the control tower alerted responders about the reported crash at or near the airport, prompting approximately 300 rescuers to respond despite extremely cold conditions, heavy winds, and ice on the water.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy mentioned that the helicopter was following a “standard” flight pattern, while the passenger plane was also on a “standard” approach before the tragic collision, although he did not elaborate on the cause of the accident. He confirmed that the NTSB would begin analyzing the aircraft in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration.All 67 victims recovered from Washington plane crash
