BBC Breakfast halted as Naga and Charlie deliver devastating 'breaking news'

BBC Breakfast hosts Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty were backmost connected Thursday to bring viewers the latest quality headlines

BBC Breakfast's Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty solemnly interrupted Thursday's unrecorded amusement to present immoderate tragic "breaking" news.

At the commencement of today's (January 30) programme, they alerted viewers that a horrific mid-air collision occurred erstwhile a level and chopper met catastrophe implicit Washington DC, subsequently crashing into the Potomac River.

The aircraft, which was based successful Wichita, Kansas, carried 60 passengers and 4 unit members, on with 3 US Army soldiers successful the subject helicopter.

Naga sombrely detailed: "A level with much than 65 radical connected committee and a subject chopper has crashed conscionable supra Washington, DC, and plunged into the Potomac River."

Live images consecutive retired of Washington, D.C. followed, wherever Merlyn Thomas, the North American correspondent, stood acceptable to contiguous further updates.

Adding to the gravity of the situation, Charlie reported: "Here's immoderate of the unrecorded images coming done from Washington this morning. In the past fewer minutes, determination has been a property conference. The US coastguard says that 18 bodies person been recovered truthful far. We'll bring you the precise latest."

Merlyn continued, noting the lack of an authoritative full for casualties and sharing that the chopper was connected a regular grooming formation earlier the tragic clash with the jet.

She went on: "We cognize that determination is simply a large rescue cognition that's underway that's ongoing close present with rescue divers and constabulary officials and exigency responders gathering to undertake this rescue operation. We're inactive waiting to find retired much information," reports the Express.

"President Trump, successful caller hours, has expressed his condolences and thanked the responders who are attending to this emergency, but helium has besides questioned precisely what has happened and suggested that this incidental whitethorn person been wholly preventable."

The Federal Aviation Administration released a connection to CBS News confirming that the collision occurred connected attack to Runway 33 astatine Reagan Washington National Airport astir 9 p.m. section time.

Approximately 300 exigency unit are presently successful "rescue mode," with constabulary divers and boats combing the waters nether challenging windy and acheronian conditions.

DC occurrence main John Donnelly stated successful a caller property briefing: "We don't cognize if determination are survivors, but we are moving connected it."

BBC Breakfast airs regular connected BBC One astatine 6am