KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today expressed his sadness over the tragic aviation disaster at Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC.
Malaysian National News Agency/Kyodo today reported that all were feared dead in the mid-air collision on Wednesday night that involved a commercial jet with 64 people on board and a military helicopter.
The report cited United States (US) authorities saying that they believed there were no survivors from the collision.
The flight, operated by an American Airlines subsidiary, had departed from Wichita, Kansas, where the US Figure Skating Championships were recently held. The International Skating Union confirmed that some athletes and their coaches were among the passengers.
In conveying his condolences over the incident, Anwar noted that recovery efforts were being taken just as families and friends in the United States, Russia, China, the Philippines and Germany were mourning for their loved ones.
“It is especially heartbreaking to learn of the loss of young and gifted figure skaters who had such bright futures ahead. In this time of sorrow, I hope their families find strength and solace as they navigate this immense grief. The people of Malaysia are thinking of them,” he said in a posting on his Facebook.
-WE