•Without evidence, Trump blames diversity policies
CHIGOZIE AMADI
President Bola Tinubu has mourned the victims of the air disaster that happened on Wednesday night around the Potomac area of Washington D.C, in the United States of America.
Expressing sorrow over the tragic air accident, the president extended Nigeria’s condolences to the US, the victims and their families.
All 64 people aboard an American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter were feared dead in what was likely to be the worst US aviation disaster in almost a quarter century, officials said.
Tinubu, while mourning the victims said on his verified X handle: “I am deeply saddened by the tragic incident in Washington.”
The president, on behalf of Nigeria, conveyed heartfelt sympathies to the people of the United States and all those affected by the devastating event. He also praised the emergency response teams for their swift and courageous actions under difficult conditions.
“I commend the courageous efforts of first responders and emergency teams for their selfless work in harsh conditions,” he stated.
Reaffirming Nigeria’s solidarity with the United States, Tinubu emphasised the shared grief between the two nations while expressing hope for healing and resilience in the wake of the tragedy.
“Nigeria stands in solidarity with the United States government and its people, united in grief and hopeful for a new day,” he added.
But AP reported that at least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after the helicopter apparently flew into the path of the jet late Wednesday as it was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington. The plane carried 60 passengers and four crew. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter.
“We don’t believe there are any survivors,” said John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation’s capital. “We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” Donnelly added.
The plane was found upside-down in three sections in waist-deep water, and first responders were searching an area of the Potomac River as far south as the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, roughly 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) south of the airport, Donnelly said. The helicopter wreckage was also found.
There was no immediate word on the cause of the collision, but officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet arrived from Wichita, Kansas, with US and Russian figure skaters and others aboard. It was preparing for a routine landing at the time of the collision.
“On final approach into Reagan National, it collided with a military aircraft on an otherwise normal approach,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said. “At this time, we don’t know why the military aircraft came into the path of the aircraft,” Isom said.
Investigators will try to piece together the aircraft’s final moments before the collision, including its contact with air traffic controllers.
But President Donald Trump questioned the role of the helicopter pilot, air traffic control, as well as faulted Joe Biden as he injected politics into his crash response.
In response to a question on why he believes DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) were responsible, Trump said: “Because I have common sense and unfortunately a lot of people don’t. We want brilliant people doing this. This is a major chess game at the highest level.”
Donald Trump also said that authorities “will be giving (the list of passenger names) very soon”. He added that he will be announcing in a couple of hours the other nationalities who were on board the American Airlines plane.
In a video address on Thursday, defense secretary Pete Hegseth said that the army helicopter crew involved in the plane-helicopter collision was “fairly experienced”. Describing the flight as an “annual proficiency training flight,” Hegseth said: “They did have night vision goggles.”
The Skating Club of Boston confirmed that several of its members were on board the American Airlines flight when it collided with the Army helicopter. In a statement on Instagram, Doug Zeghibe, the CEO of the club said: “Of the skaters, coaches and parents on the plane, we believe six were from The Skating Club of Boston. We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.”
The Kremlin also confirmed that the figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were onboard. The pair, who were married, won the world championships in pairs figure skating in 1994 and lived in the US, UK’s The Guardian, said.
Trump said “we have very strong opinions and ideas” about how the accident happened then reverted to taking political swipes at Barack Obama and Joe Biden over air traffic controller standards. “The word talented. You have to be naturally talented geniuses.”
