Post date: Dec 01, 2013 12:9:4 AM
NVO - Eight people were killed and 14 others seriously injured when a police helicopter crashed into the roof of a packed Glasgow pub, trapping many inside in choking dust and debris, Scottish policesaid on Saturday (November 30).
Witnesses said the helicopter dropped from the sky like a stone onto the busy Clutha Pub inScotland's biggest city on Friday night (November 29) while more than 100 people were crammed inside, listening to a live music concert.
The helicopter crew - two police officers and the civilian pilot - were among the dead and the others were discovered inside the wreckage of the building, Chief Constable of Police Scotland Stephen House told reporters. He said 14 others remained in hospital with serious injuries."We can now confirm that the number of fatalities involved in this incident has risen to eight. Three of these eight fatalities were found within the helicopter and were our colleagues in the helicopter crew. The remaining five people were found within the building. Fourteen people remain seriously injured in Glasgow hospitals and had been cared for by health colleagues there. A major investigation is under way by the police under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and by the Air Accident Investigation Branch," House said from the site of the crash.
He said the investigation was expected to go on for many days due to the complexity of the case and hazards at the scene.
"The helicopter is in there and it is dominating the whole space within the building. Until the helicopter is out of the way we won't know what everything is going on underneath the helicopter so we simply can't say what the situation is at this moment definitively but we are still involved at the moment in a rescue and recovery situation," House added.
The 12-metre (40 foot) helicopter - a twin-engine Eurocopter EC135 T2 - spiraled into the pub in the center of Glasgow, destroying part of the roof.
Police said it was too early to speculate on what caused the Eurocopter, popular with emergency services worldwide, to come down. Witnesses said it did not appear to have caught fire.