Acting Prime Minister Jim Anderton has contacted the United States Embassy to express condolences following the crash this morning of an American Airlines jet in New York.

Jim Anderton was woken and advised of the crash shortly after 4 o’clock this morning.

Prime Minister Helen Clark was contacted and briefed aboard her flight to Latin America. Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff is at the United Nations in New York and is monitoring the situation.

The New Zealand mission in New York has been in touch with American Airlines to ask whether New Zealanders were aboard the flight. Details of passengers’ nationalities are unlikely to be available today.

“This is another very sad event for the people of New York and all New Zealanders will be deeply sorry to hear they have again been the subject of an airborne tragedy,” Jim Anderton said.

“Nothing at this stage suggests that the crash is the result of terrorist activity, but as always the situation is being monitored.”

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