There were 64 people, including four crew members, aboard American Airlines Flight 5342 and three soldiers aboard the Black Hawk Sikorsky H-60. All are believed to be dead.

Flights at Reagan Airport were grounded, officials said, and the airport will reportedly remain closed until at least 11 a.m. Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser could not comment Wednesday night; however, early Thursday morning, she posted on her social media accounts that there would be a press conference at 7:30 a.m. to provide updates about the accident.

The helicopter was discovered upside down in the Potomac River, and the airplane was broken into pieces, according to multiple reports. Debris from the accident and human remains have been reportedly washing up along the riverbanks on the Virginia side of the Potomac River throughout the night. 

Jack Potter, president and CEO of Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, updated the media about the incident late Wednesday night and explained that the current focus of the efforts was rescue,  WTOP News reported.

“We’re in a rescue mode,” Potter said late Wednesday night.

As of early Thursday morning, at least 19 bodies have been recovered from the accident site, according to CBS News. 

Divers searching for survivors of the crash have been able to access some parts of the plane’s cabin and have retrieved the plane’s data recording device, more commonly referred to as “black boxes,” CBS News reported. It is unknown, however, which was found, the cockpit voice recorder or the device that tracks the plane’s performance. 

John Donnelly, fire and EMS chief at the Washington, DC, Fire and EMS Department, provided updates about the complications in recovery efforts due to the weather and river conditions. He called it “highly complex.”

“It’s a highly complex operation,” Donnelly said. “The conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders. It’s cold. They’re dealing with relatively windy conditions.” 

“It’s just dangerous and hard to work in,” he added. “And because there’s not a lot of lights, you’re out there searching every square inch of space.”

Robert Isom, CEO of American Airlines, posted a video expressing his condolences. 

“First and most importantly, I’d like to express our deep sorrows about these events,” Islom said. “This is a difficult day for all of us at American Airlines, and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, partners, first responders, along with their families and loved ones.”

He explained that providing accurate and truthful information was among his highest priorities.

“We understand and appreciate the people are eager for information, please know that we will continue to share accurate and timely information as soon as we can, but anything we must report, must be accurate,” he added. “We owe that to everyone involved.”