18 killed in midair collision near Washington

KABUL (Pajhwok): A passenger plane carrying 64 people has collided midair with a US army Black Hawk helicopter outside Washington DC, killing at least 18 people.

Fox News reported 18 people lost their lives in the collision over Ronald Reagan National Airport, with the passenger jet crashing into Washington's Potomac River.

US media outlets reported several bodies had been fished out of the water. Four people were pulled alive from the Potomac River.

Earlier, CNN said fatalities had been confirmed in the crash near Reagan National Airport. It quoted a law-enforcement source as saying the plane was in pieces in the water and the helicopter was in the water nearby.

The plane, American Airlines Flight 5342 with 60 passengers and four crew members on board, had departed from Wichita, Kansas, according to the airline.

Three soldiers were on board the helicopter, which was a training flight, officials say. All takeoffs and landings have been halted at Reagan National Airport.

The passenger jet collision was being monitored, the US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee said in a statement.

Committee leaders added: “As we await more information from the ongoing response, our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, and their families, and the first responders on the scene.”

sa/mud