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King Charles III is paying tribute to the D.C. plane crash victims.
After a commercial plane crash in Washington, D.C., killed 67 people, leaving no surviving victims, the British monarch paid tribute in a note, sharing thanks for first responders.
“My family and I have been profoundly shocked and saddened by the dreadful news of the tragic air accident in Washington, D.C., which has led to such a devastating loss of life,” King Charles wrote in a note released Saturday by Buckingham Palace.
The monarch added: “Our hearts, and our special thoughts, are with the people of the United States and our deepest possible sympathy goes to the families and loved ones of all the victims.”
DC plane crash:Search for bodies continues; officials to remove aircraft from Potomac
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“I would also like to pay a particular tribute to the emergency responders who acted so quickly to this horrendous event,” he continued, casually signing the note “Charles R.”
As of Saturday, 26 D.C. plane crash victims have yet to be found
Wednesday’s devastating plane crash captured the attention of the nation and led to greater scrutiny surrounding the country’s aviation industry.
Search crews on Saturday are still working to recover bodies in the Potomac River after the collision of a passenger jet and an Army helicopter that left 67 people dead near Reagan Washington National Airport.
On Saturday afternoon, crews were at the scene of the wreckage in frigid waters. Navy barges from Virginia Beach were expected to help recover the wreckage of the passenger plane and helicopter from the Potomac and retrieve the rest of the bodies.
DC Fire Chief John Donnelly said Friday that search teams have continued with sonar scanning, searching the Potomac’s shoreline and aerial operations.
In total, 26 people’s bodies have yet to be recovered from Wednesday’s collision, considered the deadliest aviation disaster in decades. As of Friday, the remains of 41 people have been recovered.
Just days after Wednesday’s apparent accident, a deadly Friday night crash of a Medevac jet in Philadelphia also injured over a dozen people on the ground.
The cause for the crash is not yet known. The Learjet 55 departed Northeast Philadelphia Airport at about 6:30 p.m. ET bound for Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, and the pilot did not mention any problems in recorded air traffic control communications.
Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas, Mike Snider, Chris Ullery
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