Tragedy in the skies: Over 30 presumed dead in US crash
In the US, a fierce race against time is ongoing. There is still no official information about the number of fatalities in the plane crash. However, foreign media report that rescuers have already recovered more than 30 bodies from the Potomac River.
The Associated Press reports that "according to a person familiar with the situation, many people have died, but the exact number of victims is not known as rescue teams are searching for survivors."
According to the latest reports from the American NBC station, the death toll from the plane crash involving a passenger plane and a military helicopter has now risen to over 30. Earlier, CBS News reported 19 casualties. According to the station's correspondent, their bodies were washed ashore.
Official government data is still lacking. A press conference is scheduled for Thursday at 12:30 PM Greenwich Mean Time. New Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth stressed on social media that "Search and rescue operations are still ongoing."
In an evening release, US Figure Skating representatives stated that skaters, their coaches, and family members were on board American Airlines Flight 5342.
Earlier, the Russian state news agency TASS reported that former Russian world champions in figure skating, Yevgeniya Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were travelling on the plane. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that these are "confirmed reports."
Plane crash in the US
On Wednesday evening, an American Airlines passenger plane with 64 people on board collided with a UH-60 Black Hawk military helicopter while approaching landing at Ronald Reagan Airport. Both aircraft fell into the Potomac River.
