Seoul: South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul expressed his deep sorrow Thursday after a US jet carrying 64 people collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington.
“We’re deeply saddened by the tragic accident at Reagan National Airport. Our hearts go out to everyone immediately impacted as we pray for some good news,” Cho wrote in English on his account on X.
A regional jet collided with a military helicopter as it was nearing the runway at around 9 p.m. Wednesday (local time), prompting a major search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The exact number of casualties remains unknown.
The Seoul government is working to obtain a passenger list, though it is not immediately clear whether any Korean nationals were aboard the aircraft, Yonhap news agency reported.
Earlier in the day, former US President Donald Trump reacted, stating that the accident “should have been prevented” and questioned why authorities failed to instruct the helicopter to divert its route.
A mid-air collision over the Potomac River near Washington’s Reagan National Airport has claimed at least 18 lives, as rescue teams continue searching for survivors. The crash involved American Airlines Flight 5342 and a Black Hawk military helicopter.
Taking to his social media platform ‘Truth Social,’ Trump posted, “The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was heading straight toward the airplane for an extended period of time.”
“It was a clear night, and the lights on the plane were blazing. Why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn? Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane? This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. Not good,” he wrote.
The military helicopter was carrying three soldiers when it collided with the regional passenger jet, which had 60 passengers and four crew members on board while approaching the airport for landing. No survivors have been found so far.
(IANS)
