STORY: No survivors expected in aircraft collision in Washington, D.C.
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 30, 2025
DATELINE: Jan. 31, 2025
LENGTH: 00:00:56
LOCATION: Washington D.C.
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Reagan National Airport
2. SOUNDBITE (English): DONALD TRUMP, U.S. President
3. various of the Reagan National Airport

STORYLINE:

There are no survivors in the midair collision of a passenger plane and helicopter near Reagan National Airport Wednesday night.

At a press conference in the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump said warnings were given "very late" before the aircraft collision.

SOUNDBITE (English): DONALD TRUMP, U.S. President
"I've had the honor of hearing tapes. Tapes are scary, very scary tapes.
When the air traffic controller said, do you see he was talking about, do you see him? But there was very little time left when that was stated.
The work has now shifted to a recovery mission. Sadly, there are no survivors.
This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation's capital and in our nation's history."

U.S. media reported Thursday that an internal report by the Federal Aviation Administration suggested that the controller on duty was doing a job usually handled by two people when the collision occurred.
   
The Chinese Embassy in the United States said on Thursday that two Chinese citizens were among the victims.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Washington, D.C.
(XHTV)