Four people have been killed after two helicopters collided in the Australian state of Queensland, and seven others have been critically injured. The fatal collision happened on Monday near a marine theme park. Among the injured three are fighting for life while the others were in critical condition, according to Queensland Ambulance service.
Screen grab – AP
One of the helicopters was taking off while the other was trying to land outside the Sea World on the Gold Coast around 2 pm local time when the mid-air collision happened. The park was busy with people enjoying the holidays.
“One airframe had the windscreen removed and it has landed safely on the island, the other airframe had crashed and it was upside down …Members of the public and police tried to remove the people and they commenced first aid and tried to help these people to safety,” Queensland Police Acting Inspector Gary Worrell said, according to Sky News.
Eyewitnesses said the chopper that was coming in to land clipped the rotor of the one trying to take off, leading to the horrible crash.
‘From what we saw one was taking off, the other landing. They clipped each other … Massive bang heard right through the Broadwater tourist park then the swooshing as the one that lost control hit the water and broke apart. It’s just awful. Everyone is in shock,” Emma Burch, an eyewitness, told the Daily Mail.
All the deaths and critical injuries appeared to have happened in one of the choppers involved in the crash. Four people in the chopper died as it crashed into the sandbar, while three others were critically injured. The pilot of the chopper was also killed in the crash. Meanwhile, the other chopper crash-landed on the sandbar with six people on board, who appeared to have escaped with non-life threatening injuries.
