BBC Breakfast's Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty solemnly interrupted Thursday's live show to deliver some tragic "breaking" news. At the start of today's (January 30) programme, they alerted viewers that a horrific mid-air collision occurred when a plane and helicopter met disaster over Washington DC, subsequently crashing into the Potomac River. The aircraft, which was based in Wichita, Kansas, carried 60 passengers and four crew members, along with three US Army soldiers in the military helicopter.

Naga sombrely detailed: "A plane with more than 65 people on board and a military helicopter has crashed just above Washington, DC, and plunged into the Potomac River.". Live images straight out of Washington, D.C. followed, where Merlyn Thomas, the North American correspondent, stood ready to present further updates. Adding to the gravity of the situation, Charlie reported: "Here's some of the live images coming through from Washington this morning. In the last few minutes, there has been a press conference. The US coastguard says that 18 bodies have been recovered so far. We'll bring you the very latest.".

Merlyn continued, noting the absence of an official total for casualties and sharing that the helicopter was on a routine training flight before the tragic clash with the jet. She went on: "We know that there is a major rescue operation that's underway that's ongoing right now with rescue divers and police officials and emergency responders gathering to undertake this rescue operation. We're still waiting to find out more information," reports the Express.

"President Trump, in recent hours, has expressed his condolences and thanked the responders who are attending to this emergency, but he has also questioned exactly what has happened and suggested that this incident may have been entirely preventable.". The Federal Aviation Administration released a statement to CBS News confirming that the collision occurred on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 pm local time.

Approximately 300 emergency personnel are currently in "rescue mode," with police divers and boats combing the waters under challenging windy and dark conditions. DC fire chief John Donnelly stated in a recent press briefing: "We don't know if there are survivors, but we are working on it.". BBC Breakfast airs daily on BBC One at 6am. Get the biggest TV headlines, recaps and insider knowledge straight to your inbox.