Azerbaijan responds to Washington tragedy: President Aliyev sends condolences to US counterpart

President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan has expressed his condolences to US President Donald Trump following the tragic collision between a passenger plane and a military helicopter near Washington.

According to Caliber.Az, the details of the letter were published on the official website of Azerbaijan's head of state.

In his letter, President Aliyev wrote: “We were deeply saddened by the news of the collision between a passenger plane and an army helicopter near Washington, resulting in the loss of many lives. In light of this tragedy, I extend my deepest condolences to you, the families and loved ones of the victims, and to the friendly people of the United States, on behalf of myself and the people of Azerbaijan.”

The tragic incident occurred on the evening of January 29, when American Eagle Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines, was en route from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington. The flight, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, collided mid-air with a military Sikorsky H-60 helicopter that was conducting a training flight with three personnel on board. Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River, prompting a large-scale search and recovery operation, which involved about 300 responders working in difficult weather conditions.

As of the morning of January 30, 30 bodies had been recovered from the river, with 67 people feared dead.

The crash has drawn comparisons to the Air Florida Flight 90 disaster in 1982, in which a plane also crashed into the Potomac River, resulting in the loss of 78 lives. Investigations are ongoing as authorities continue to recover victims and work to determine the causes behind this devastating accident.

By Tamilla Hasanova