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American Airlines Crash: U.S. Figure Skaters Among Passengers successful Fatal Collision
Hamaad Raza, whose woman was progressive successful the horrific Washington D.C. level crash, shared the last substance she sent to him earlier the tragedy.
American Eagle Flight 5342, which was carrying 60 passengers and 4 unit members, crashed into the Potomac River aft colliding with an service chopper Jan. 29.
And conscionable minutes earlier the fatal collision adjacent Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Raza received a connection from his woman aboard the plane.
"She texted maine that they were landing successful 20 minutes,” helium told WUSA that night. "The remainder of my texts did not get delivered, that's erstwhile I realized thing mightiness beryllium up.”
“I’m conscionable praying that idiosyncratic is pulling her retired of the stream close present arsenic we speak,” helium continued. "I'm conscionable praying to God."
So far, 28 bodies person been recovered, with astir 2 twelve rescue teams moving connected uncovering and identifying the victims. But arsenic of this morning, D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly shared a devastating update.
“We are present astatine a constituent wherever we are switching from a rescue cognition to a betterment operation,” Donnelly said during a property conference, per NBC News. “At this point, we don’t judge determination are immoderate survivors from this accident.”
Among others aboard the craft were American fig skaters, per a connection released by U.S. Figure Skating, arsenic good arsenic their coaches and household members who had been astatine campy successful Wichita.
“These athletes, coaches, and household members were returning location from the National Development Camp held successful conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships,” the enactment shared successful a connection obtained by NBC News. “We are devastated by this unspeakable calamity and clasp the victims’ families intimately successful our hearts."
Russian media outlets reported the American Airlines formation besides had Russian fig skaters and coaches, including World champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, onboard.
"Bad quality from Washington today," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters successful his regular quality conference, per the outlet. "We grieve and console with the families and friends who mislaid those of our chap citizens who died successful this level crash."
As for the chopper progressive successful the collision, the U.S. Army Black Hawk was, according to Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, carrying 3 people. Shortly after, President Donald Trump spoke retired astir the incidental connected Truth Social.
“This is simply a atrocious concern that looks similar it should person been prevented," helium wrote Jan. 29, "NOT GOOD!!!”
And Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has since agreed with the President’s assessment.
“Everything was modular successful the pb up to the crash,” Duffy told reporters Jan. 30, per NBC News. “Obviously thing happened here. To backmost up what the president said, what I’ve seen truthful far. Do I deliberation this was preventable? Absolutely.”
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
But portion galore questions surrounding the disastrous clang remain, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine urges radical to refrain from conjecturing.
“Sorrow, acknowledgment and questions,” helium said astatine a Jan. 30 quality conference, “as each person expressed, to the crew, to the passengers, to the soldiers, to their families, to their friends, to their loved ones, to radical who are inactive trying to get accusation and unsure whether their loved ones person been lost. We connection our profound condolences to them and our sorrow for this tragedy.”
Acknowledging that overmuch is near unknown, helium added, “It’s not a clip to speculate. It’s a clip to analyse and get answers to the questions we need, and I’m assured that volition beryllium done.”
(E! and NBC News are portion of the NBCUniversal family).
