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Two Russian champion figure skaters, Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, have been confirmed among the passengers onboard the American Airlines flight that tragically collided with a U.S. Army helicopter over Washington DC on Wednesday night, according to reports by UK news website the Mirror.
The pair, who were married, won the 1994 World Championship in pairs figure skating and were returning from the National Development Camp in Wichita, Kansas, alongside several other athletes and coaches.
The flight, which was inbound to Reagan Washington National Airport, collided mid-air with a Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers. US Figure Skating has expressed its devastation, confirming that several of its athletes were on board the doomed flight.
A statement read:
We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.
The wife of Hamaad Raza was also aboard the flight. Raza told CBS that his wife, who had been traveling for work, had messaged him shortly before the crash, saying she would be landing in 20 minutes.
He stated as quoted by the Mirror:
I'm praying someone is pulling her from the river as we speak.
A major search and rescue operation has been launched, with 18 bodies reportedly recovered from the Potomac River. A total of 60 passengers and four crew were on board, and around 300 responders are currently working to recover further casualties.
US President Donald Trump stated he was "monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise," while commending first responders for their "incredible work," adding, "may God bless their souls.”
Meanwhile, 19 bodies have been recovered so far per media reports.