This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jan/16/helicopter-crashes-central-london-vauxhall
The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Helicopter crashes in central London | Helicopter crashes in central London |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A helicopter crashed in central London during the morning rush hour. | A helicopter crashed in central London during the morning rush hour. |
| Emergency services were called to the scene, near the river Thames at Vauxhall, after reports that the aircraft had hit a crane and cartwheeled before bursting into flames. | Emergency services were called to the scene, near the river Thames at Vauxhall, after reports that the aircraft had hit a crane and cartwheeled before bursting into flames. |
| Smoke billowed into the sky above the area on Wednesday morning. | Smoke billowed into the sky above the area on Wednesday morning. |
| A Metropolitan police statement said: "Police were alerted at approximately 08.00hrs on Wednesday 16 January re. an incident at Wandsworth Road SW8. | A Metropolitan police statement said: "Police were alerted at approximately 08.00hrs on Wednesday 16 January re. an incident at Wandsworth Road SW8. |
| "At this early stage it appears a helicopter was in collision with a crane on top of a building. | "At this early stage it appears a helicopter was in collision with a crane on top of a building. |
| "Met officers, the ambulance service and the London Fire Brigade have attended. | "Met officers, the ambulance service and the London Fire Brigade have attended. |
| "It is too early at this stage to confirm any casualties." | "It is too early at this stage to confirm any casualties." |
| Fire and rescue services said they were taking "lots of emergency calls" as witnesses described seeing grey smoke towering into the sky, close to Battersea bridge. | Fire and rescue services said they were taking "lots of emergency calls" as witnesses described seeing grey smoke towering into the sky, close to Battersea bridge. |
| A spokesman for London fire brigade was unable to give details but said: "We are taking lots of emergency calls at the moment." | A spokesman for London fire brigade was unable to give details but said: "We are taking lots of emergency calls at the moment." |
| Witnesses took to Twitter to report details. | Witnesses took to Twitter to report details. |
| One said the helicopter appeared to have hit a crane. | One said the helicopter appeared to have hit a crane. |
| Another said it crashed close to a railway line. | Another said it crashed close to a railway line. |
| One user posted a dramatic photograph showing burning wreckage in the road. | One user posted a dramatic photograph showing burning wreckage in the road. |
| Commuter Sherna Noah described seeing a "large plume of dark grey smoke" as she crossed Battersea bridge at around 8am. | Commuter Sherna Noah described seeing a "large plume of dark grey smoke" as she crossed Battersea bridge at around 8am. |
| She said: "I was coming across the bridge and basically I could see a few cyclists on the bridge looking towards the water. | She said: "I was coming across the bridge and basically I could see a few cyclists on the bridge looking towards the water. |
| "I looked over to see what they were looking at and could see a pall of grey smoke coming from the south side. | "I looked over to see what they were looking at and could see a pall of grey smoke coming from the south side. |
| "You could see a large plume of dark grey smoke." | "You could see a large plume of dark grey smoke." |
| A woman who answered the phone at the London Heliport, in Battersea, would not comment on the fire. | A woman who answered the phone at the London Heliport, in Battersea, would not comment on the fire. |
| Some witnesses said the helicopter appeared to have hit a crane on a newly-built tower block on the south bank of the Thames at Vauxhall Cross. | Some witnesses said the helicopter appeared to have hit a crane on a newly-built tower block on the south bank of the Thames at Vauxhall Cross. |
| It is thought the helicopter may have hit two cars. There were also reports that there was one person in the helicopter. | It is thought the helicopter may have hit two cars. There were also reports that there was one person in the helicopter. |
| Video footage shot on a mobile phone showed an entire road blocked by burning wreckage and aviation fuel. | |
| The side of a building on one side of the street was also damaged by the flames. Passersby stood watching as the wreckage burned. | |
| A motorcycle was also lying on its side in the road having been abandoned. | |
| One witness reported seeing cars on fire and hearing people screaming. | |
| As rush-hour traffic built up, the A3036 Wandsworth Road in Vauxhall was closed in both directions between Vauxhall Cross and the Lansdowne Way junction. | |
| People took to Twitter to report gridlocked traffic in the area, with emergency services struggling to get through. | |
| The First Capital Connect train company warned its passengers to expect travel difficulties in the Vauxhall area, although its services were not affected. | |
| Flying conditions were reflected in the fact that London City airport in Docklands had delays due to poor visibility. | |
| Paul Ferguson, who was working in an office near the incident, told BBC News: "There was a flash and the helicopter plunged to the ground. It exploded and you can imagine the smoke coming out of it. | |
| "It was probably heading from the nearby heliport. It may be that on this misty morning the lights on nearby St George's Tower weren't on and it moved and clipped the edge of the crane and lost control." | |
| Witness Chris Matthison told BBC News: "There was some damage to the crane. It's possible the crane is lying across Nine Elms Road. | |
| "The top of the nearest building is steeped in mist and difficult to see." | |
| He added: "I heard a very unusual dull thud, then there was silence. The silence really took my imagination. Emergency services responded very quickly." | |
| Transport for London said buses in the Vauxhall area were subject to diversion and delays due to the incident. People were advised to avoid the area and seek alternative routes. | |
| Erin Rogers, who was waiting at a bus stop outside Vauxhall station, told BBC News: "It was a bit surreal actually. I just had a coffee in my hand, I looked up, heard a bang and saw bits of crane debris falling to the floor. | |
| "Then the helicopter was in flames. The rest of the people at the bus station were looking on going 'What was that?' | |
| "It's something I will never forget for a long time." |