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London helicopter crash: two die after aircraft hits crane Vauxhall helicopter crash: two die after aircraft hits crane
(about 1 hour later)
Two people died and nine others were injured after a helicopter burst into flames after hitting a crane on a building site in central London. Witnesses described watching the aircraft colliding with the crane before exploding and cartwheeling into a central London street at the height of the rush-hour. Two people have died and nine others have been injured after a helicopter hit a crane on a building site in central London and burst into flames. Witnesses described watching the aircraft colliding with the crane before exploding and cartwheeling into a central London street at the height of the rush hour.
Police said the pilot of the helicopter and someone in "close proximity" to the crash were killed, police said. Police said the pilot of the helicopter and someone in "close proximity" to the crash were killed. Five people were taken to hospital with minor injuries and four people were treated at the scene.
Five people were taken to hospital with minor injuries and four people were treated at the scene. Police have confirmed that whether the red warning lights on top of the crane were functioning correctly will form part of their investigation.
The commercial helicopter was on a flight from Redhill to Elstree when it collided with The Tower on St George Wharf at 8am on Wednesday. There were chaotic scenes immediately following the crash near the river Thames in south Lambeth. Traffic came to a standstill as burning wreckage and aviation fuel covered the road and witnesses reported seeing cars on fire and hearing people screaming. The commercial helicopter was on a flight from Redhill to Elstree when it collided with the Tower on St George Wharf at 8am on Wednesday. There were chaotic scenes immediately following the crash near the river Thames in south Lambeth. Traffic came to a standstill as burning wreckage and aviation fuel covered the road and witnesses reported seeing cars on fire and hearing people screaming.
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, after the crash happened near Wandsworth Road. Eight fire engines, four fire rescue units and about 60 firefighters plus officers attended the scene. London Fire Brigade said firefighters rescued a man from a burning car and brought a blaze caused by the crash under control. Fire and rescue services said they were taking "lots of emergency calls", and witnesses described seeing grey smoke towering into the sky close to Battersea bridge after the crash near Wandsworth Road. Eight fire engines, four fire rescue units and about 60 firefighters plus officers attended the scene. London fire brigade said firefighters had rescued a man from a burning car and brought a blaze caused by the crash under control.
The Tower is billed to be one of Europe's tallest residential towers. Work on the 181-metre (594ft) high, 51-storey skyscraper is due to finish this year and all the apartments are reportedly already sold. The building is only a few hundred metres from MI6 and situated on a busy roundabout. The Tower is billed to be one of Europe's tallest residential towers. Work on the 181-metre (594ft), 51-storey skyscraper is due to finish this year and all the apartments are reportedly already sold. The building is only a few hundred metres from MI6 and situated on a busy roundabout.
Witnesses described dramatic scenes in the moments following the crash. "We heard a mighty bang, looked up and saw the helicopter just catch the edge of the crane. It didn't hit the tower block itself, it hit the crane and then just came down in a fireball," Steve Carslake told BBC Radio 5 Live. He described seeing a car explode with someone apparently trapped inside. "There was a great big lot of black smoke everywhere and there was a couple of cars. We heard someone was actually trapped in the car. We went to run towards the car and there was just a large explosion again. It was quite devastating to watch, I'm afraid."Witnesses described dramatic scenes in the moments following the crash. "We heard a mighty bang, looked up and saw the helicopter just catch the edge of the crane. It didn't hit the tower block itself, it hit the crane and then just came down in a fireball," Steve Carslake told BBC Radio 5 Live. He described seeing a car explode with someone apparently trapped inside. "There was a great big lot of black smoke everywhere and there was a couple of cars. We heard someone was actually trapped in the car. We went to run towards the car and there was just a large explosion again. It was quite devastating to watch, I'm afraid."
Video footage shot on a mobile phone showed an entire road blocked by burning wreckage and aviation fuel. The fire brigade confirmed that the crash appeared to have left the crane "in a precarious position". Video footage shot on a mobile phone showed an entire road blocked by burning wreckage and aviation fuel. The fire brigade confirmed that the crash appeared to have left the crane "in a precarious position".
A construction worker near the scene, who didn't want to give his name, said the crash was "horrific". He was arriving for his 8am shift when he heard a big bang. "I looked up and I saw the crane was disintegrating. The helicopter was flying towards us [on Vauxhall Bridge Road] and went flying off the building. It was the first time I'd seen a helicopter fly this side of the crane – they usually fly along the river," he said. "I ran for my life. It is the most horrific thing I've ever seen in my life." The lorry drivers Ray Watts and Paul Robinson had parked their trucks at the foot of the tower and were checking in with security when the helicopter struck in thick cloud.
Construction worker Rezart Islami said: "I saw the helicopter come from the south-east direction very fast, it just went bang into the crane. The crane's arm broke off straight away and the helicopter was sent spinning around in a ball of smoke. Watts, 45, a driver for Sheffield Insulation, was delivering panels to the new building when the debris started raining down on to his van outside.
"There was a big bang when the helicopter hit the boom of the crane and there was another when it hit the ground and blew up," said Watts.
"I just ran. I was scared and legged it. I didn't know which way to run because there were bits everywhere. I ran towards the station and there were still bits raining down. You come to work on a normal Wednesday morning and you don't expect this. There were lots of workers, 20 to 25 people, waiting to get on to the site through security. They all ran in different directions. Everyone was shouting: 'What's going on?'"
He said he saw a massive fireball as the helicopter exploded and a building caught light.
He said the crane fell across Nine Elms Lane just after the traffic lights had turned red, which meant there was less traffic in danger than if they had still been green.
"They were lucky. If the lights were green the traffic would have gone through and it would have been a different story. I feel quite lucky too. If I hadn't stopped to talk to the security guard I would have been in the truck and I've been told the crane hit it. I think I'll buy a lottery ticket today."
Robinson, 42, from Barking, was picking up waste material from the site, and was sitting in his van when he thought his friend Ray had shunted him. In fact it was metal falling from the sky on to his vehicle and he leapt from his cabin and ran.
"I saw something falling from the sky. I jumped out of the lorry and ran like hell. The boom hit the ground, I looked round and I saw the ground was on fire and somebody said it was a helicopter. We have been told the crane operator was late and was halfway up. If he was all the way up he would have been hit. I felt very scared. I thought: 'Oh my God, I am going to die here.'
"I was shaken up for a good hour, but now I'm joking with Ray how I ran like Usain Bolt."
Vanessa Ten Hoeet, 32, was just about to feed her four-week-old baby Matthew, and was looking out of her eighth floor window at Kestral House overlooking the tower when she saw a section of the crane sheer off into Nine Elms Lane.
"Then we heard an explosion and were so happy that it didn't hit any cars, but then we saw the black smoke and we realise it wasn't just a collapsing crane. It was very loud and sounded like a bomb had gone off. The block was shaking and it was very scary. I had no clue as to what was going on. The crane came down just in front of a car and there weren't any pedestrians there at that moment. Initially we thought it might be a terrorist attack."
A construction worker near the scene, who did not want to give his name, said the crash was "horrific". He was arriving for his 8am shift when he heard a big bang. "I looked up and I saw the crane was disintegrating. The helicopter was flying towards us [on Vauxhall Bridge Road] and went flying off the building. It was the first time I'd seen a helicopter fly this side of the crane – they usually fly along the river," he said. "I ran for my life. It is the most horrific thing I've ever seen in my life."
Another construction worker, Rezart Islami, said: "I saw the helicopter come from the south-east direction very fast. It just went bang into the crane. The crane's arm broke off straight away and the helicopter was sent spinning around in a ball of smoke.
"I ran straight around to see what was happening. It was very worrying. I had never seen anything like this in my life. ""I ran straight around to see what was happening. It was very worrying. I had never seen anything like this in my life. "
Islami, 28, said the helicopter was black and the top of the crane was covered in dense cloud at the time of the collision. The crane's arm was pointing towards the south or south-west, over nearby roads, he said. Islami, 28, said the helicopter was black and the top of the crane was covered in dense cloud at the time of the collision. The crane's arm was pointing towards the south or south-west, over nearby roads, he said.
Sharon Moore, 36 who lives about 50 metres from the scene of the crash, told the Guardian: "It just dropped. You know, it's like when you just let go of something. It just dropped." Sharon Moore, 36, who lives about 50 metres from the scene of the crash, told the Guardian: "It just dropped. You know, it's like when you just let go of something. It just dropped.
"The other half of the crane fell, that was the second bang. There were four bangs, the helicopter, the crane then two cars exploded. It was horrendous." "The other half of the crane fell – that was the second bang. There were four bangs, the helicopter, the crane, then two cars exploded. It was horrendous."
Police said a number of roads had been closed after the crash including: Vauxhall Bridge Road southbound, and the partial closure of Wandsworth Road, Nine Elms Lane and South Lambeth Road. Police said a number of roads had been closed after the crash including Vauxhall Bridge Road southbound and parts of Wandsworth Road, Nine Elms Lane and South Lambeth Road.