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Authorities believe there are no survivors

Search and rescue efforts are seen around a wreckage site in the Potomac River from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, early Thursday morning in Arlington, Va.
Mark Schiefelbein
/
AP
Search and rescue efforts are seen around a wreckage site in the Potomac River from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, early Thursday morning in Arlington, Va.

John Donnelly, the chief of Washington D.C.'s Fire and EMS, told reporters Thursday morning that "we are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation."

"At this point we don't believe there are any survivors from this accident," he said.

Donnelly said some 300 responders have worked through the night in "extremely frigid conditions."

So far they have recovered the bodies of 27 passengers from the plane and one from the helicopter, and the medical examiner's office has taken the lead on reuniting the victims with their loved ones.

Thirty-seven victims remain unaccounted for. Donnelly said responders will continue working to recover the rest of the bodies.

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Rachel Treisman
Rachel Treisman (she/her) is a writer and editor for the Morning Edition live blog, which she helped launch in early 2021.