No Filipinos have been reported hurt when a commercial plane carrying about 64 passengers collided mid-air with a military helicopter and plunged into the chilly Potomac River in Washington D.C., the Philippine Embassy in Washington said.
People walk through the virtually empty Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP/Julio Cortez)
“The Embassy of the Philippines in Washington, D.C. is closely monitoring the aviation incident near the Reagan National Airport,” it said in a statement on Thursday, Jan. 30.
“So far, the Embassy has not received reports of Filipinos involved in the incident,” it added.
The embassy shared that “authorities are currently undertaking search and rescue operations.”
It also cited the White House confirmed the collision.
The military helicopter carrying three soldiers had a nighttime training exercise on Wednesday, Jan. 29, when the collision happened, while the plane had been about to land at nearby Reagan National Airport after flying from Kansas.
American Airlines, whose subsidiary operated the flight, also confirmed that there were 60 passengers and four crew members in the flight.