18 bodies recovered after passenger plane collides with helicopter, crashes in Washington

Emergency vehicles and rescue crews gather along the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport after an air crash near Washington, DC, on January 29, 2025. [AFP]

At least 18 bodies have been pulled from Washington DC's chilly Potomac River so far, where search and rescue teams are scouring the waters in freezing temperatures.

This is after a US passenger plane carrying 64 people crashed into the river after colliding midair with a military helicopter on a nighttime training exercise Wednesday, prompting a major emergency response and the grounding of all flights.