King Charles profoundly shocked, saddened by dreadful Washington DC air accident

London, February 2

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Sharing a message on X, he wrote, "My family and I have been profoundly shocked and saddened by the dreadful news of the tragic air accident in Washington, DC, which has led to such a devastating loss of life."

The King's message of sympathy was directed not only to the victims' families but also to the first responders who quickly rushed to assist in the aftermath of the incident.

"Our hearts, and our special thoughts, are with the people of the United States and our deepest possible sympathy goes to the families and loved ones of all the victims. I would also like to pay a particular tribute to the emergency responders who acted so quickly to this horrendous event," he said.

Sixty-four people, including four crew, aboard a commercial airliner of American Airlines died Wednesday night after it collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter in midair near Reagan Washington National Airport. It crashed into the Potomac River.

Three Russian nationals also died in the plane crash, the Russian Embassy in the US said in a statement, the Russian state media reported on Saturday. The statement was based on a confirmation from the US Department of State according to TASS.

The Russian nationals "lived permanently in the USA and worked as coaches in American figure skating clubs," the Russian Mission said.

The American Eagle Flight 5342 was travelling from Wichita to Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, just over the Washington line, according to American Airlines.

Remains of 41 victims have been recovered, the DC fire chief said Friday as per CBC News.US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the crew of the military aircraft were from the Bravo Company 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir, an army base in Virginia that's about 14 miles away from the airport.

— ANI