WASHINGTON (WHDH) - The nation’s capitol and the nation at large woke up Thursday in a state of shock following news of the fatal in-air crash between a passenger jet and a military helicopter over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C.

Emergency responders continued their work as night turned to day on the banks of the river, with more and more emergency responding on scene after sunrise, with efforts expected to be made easier by the light.

President Donald Trump at a news conference Thursday announced that the crash left no survivors.

“The work has now shifted to a recovery mission. Sadly there are no survivors. This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital and in our nation’s history, and a tragedy of terrible proportions,” Trump said.

Chief John Donnelly of Washington D.C. Fire & EMS said the emergency response was switching from rescue efforts to recovery efforts.

“At this point we do not believe there are any survivors from this accident,” Donnelly said.

Donnelly said 27 bodies from the plane and one body from the helicopter have so far been recovered.

D.C. Fire and EMS Chief: “We do not believe there are any survivors”

Trump in his conference questioned the role of the helicopter pilot, as well as air traffic control. He also sought to blame the policies of previous administrations for the deadly mid-air collision.

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said it was a clear night and that both flights were on their standard flight patterns when the crash took place.

“But again, those who live in the D.C. area, we see military helicopters flying up and down the river — it’s a standard path that they fly. They’re used to aircraft landing at DCA and there’s a procedure in place because this happens every day. Something went wrong here. I look forward to the time when I can give you that information,” Duffy said.

This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

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