New Delhi, Jan 31: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed grief over the loss of lives in the Washington DC midair plane-helicopter collision and said that India stands in solidarity with the people of the US.

PM Modi in his post on X wrote that he was deeply saddened by the loss in the collision. "Deeply saddened by loss of lives in the tragic collision in Washington DC. Our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims. We stand in solidarity with the people of the United States," the PM said.

Earlier, President Donald Trump said there were no survivors in the collision in the mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter in the Washington, DC, area. The collision is the deadliest since 2001.

Trump also placed the blame on Democratic policies. He blamed diversity policies implemented during the Obama and Biden administrations for compromising air safety standards. This statement came after it was found that there were no survivors in the devastating mid-air collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter.

A US passenger jet carrying 64 people crashed into the Potomac River after a midair collision with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter during a nighttime training exercise.

The incident occurred at approximately 9.00 p.m. (0200 GMT) on Wednesday as the aircraft was making its final approach to Washington's Reagan National Airport following its departure from Wichita, Kansas.

Less than 30 seconds before the collision, an air traffic controller at Reagan National Airport issued a call to the military helicopter: "PAT25, do you have the CRJ in sight?" Moments later, another directive was given: "PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ." Seconds later, the two aircraft collided. A pilot observing the incident made an urgent call over the radio: "Tower, did you see that?"

Authorities launched a large-scale search and rescue operation immediately following the crash. Emergency crews, consisting of more than 300 personnel, were deployed to the scene.

Aviation experts and investigators are now scrutinizing how a modern passenger jet equipped with collision-avoidance technology could collide with a military aircraft in one of the most closely monitored airspaces in the country.

Washington's airspace is known for its congestion, with civilian aircraft frequently flying at low altitudes over the city. The military and government helicopters operate at various elevations throughout the day and night. The presence of multiple aircraft types in such limited airspace is now a focal point of the investigation.

--IANS

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