ISTANBUL

China on Friday demanded a probe into Wednesday's midair crash near the US capital which killed at least 67 people.

Expressing “deep grief and condolences over the lives lost,” the Foreign Ministry in Beijing said in a statement that two Chinese nationals were among the victims.

An American Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 airplane collided with a military helicopter at Ronald Reagan National Airport, near Washington D.C.

Flight 5342, from Wichita, Kansas had 60 passengers and four crew on board when it collided in midair with an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers. Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River.

US President Donald Trump confirmed there were no survivors in the collision.

“China’s embassy in the US launched the emergency response mechanism immediately after the incident,” said the ministry.

It said China “asked the US to provide timely updates on the search and rescue efforts, identify the cause of the accident as soon as possible and handle the ensuing matters properly.”

Beijing "will provide necessary assistance to the families of the Chinese victims as they deal with the incident,” the statement added.

Separately, Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te also expressed "sincere condolences" to the victims' families following the midair crash.

"Our thoughts are with the American people ... and pray for swift and effective search and rescue operations," Lai said on X.