Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has condoled the United States of America over the tragic incident in Washington, D.C., that claimed the lives of more 60 people on the night of Wednesday, January 29, 2025.

According to Independent, the incident happened when a commercial American Airlines plane inbound from Kansas collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport at 8:47 ET on Wednesday night.

Footage of the crash shows the two aircraft collide in midair before exploding a huge fireball. A massive search-and-rescue operation for survivors, involving multiple agencies, was launched in the nearby Potomac River, amid heavy winds and icy 42-degree water temperatures.

An horrified eyewitness, Ari Schulman, recounted the tragic sight when he told the NBC Washington, “It looked to me like a giant Roman candle, sparks shooting from the head of the plane down to the tail. I saw that for about two seconds."

So far, 28 bodies have been recovered from the river of the 67 people believed to be dead, Chief John Donnelly of Washington’s fire and emergency service said in a Thursday morning press conference.

While no victims have been formally identified yet, a group of figure skaters and coaches competing in the National Figure Skating championships were on board.

Authorities have shifted from a “rescue operation to a recovery operation” as responders “don’t believe there are any survivors,” Chief Donnelly said.

Meanwhile, taking to his X account, President Tinubu stated that he was "deeply saddened by the tragic incident in Washington, D.C." in reaction to the incident.

The President wrote, "On behalf of Nigeria, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, the people of the United States, and all affected by this profound loss.

"I commend the courageous efforts of first responders and emergency teams for their selfless work in harsh conditions.

"Nigeria stands in solidarity with the United States Government and its People, united in grief and hopeful for a new day," President Tinubu added.

However, President Donald Trump has described the tragedy as a “bad situation” that “should have been prevented” in a late-night Truth Social post. 

While questions remain, including how the horrific incident could have occurred in the heavily monitored air space so close to the Pentagon, in the meantime, the airport has been closed as investigations into the cause of the crash continue.

SOURCES: Independent | OfficialABAT | NBC Washington

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