BBC Breakfast’s Naga Munchetty interrupted Thursday’s live programme to deliver devastating “breaking” news.
At the beginning of today’s (January 30) broadcast, Naga and Charlie Stayt told viewers that a plane and helicopter had collided in the sky above Washington DC and crashed into the Potomac River.
The aircraft, which flew from Wichita, Kansas, carried 60 passengers, four crew members, and three US Army soldiers on the military chopper.
“A plane with more than 65 people on board and a military helicopter has crashed just above Washington, DC, and plunged into the Potomac River,” Naga announced.
The show then cut to live footage from Washington, D.C., where North America correspondent Merlyn Thomas stood by to provide further updates to the viewers at home, reports the Express.
Charlie added: “Here’s some of the live images coming through from Washington this morning. In the last few minutes, there has been a press conference. The US coastguard says that 18 bodies have been recovered so far. We’ll bring you the very latest.”
Merlyn continued with the report, clarifying that there was yet to be an official statement regarding the total number of fatalities and shared that the helicopter had been on a training flight when it made an impact with the commercial plane.
A significant rescue operation is currently in full swing, with divers and emergency teams mobilised to respond to the crisis. Details are still emerging, but a spokesperson said: “We know that there is a major rescue operation that’s underway that’s ongoing right now with rescue divers and police officials and emergency responders gathering to undertake this rescue operation. We’re still waiting to find out more information.”
President Trump has extended his sympathies and praised the efforts of those involved in the emergency response. However, he has also raised questions about the circumstances leading up to the incident, hinting at the possibility that it could have been avoided
“President Trump, in recent hours, has expressed his condolences and thanked the responders who are attending to this emergency, but he has also questioned exactly what has happened and suggested that this incident may have been entirely preventable,” the BBC star continued.
The Federal Aviation Administration provided details to CBS News, confirming the collision occurred while approaching Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 pm local time.
Currently, approximately 300 emergency personnel are engaged in “rescue mode,” braving windy and dark conditions as police divers and boats scour the waters for any survivors.
DC Fire Chief John Donnelly addressed the media in a recent press briefing, stating the situation’s uncertainty: “We don’t know if there are survivors, but we are working on it.”
BBC Breakfast airs daily at 6am on BBC One.