Helicopter crash on top of hotel in Cairns claims one life with hundreds evacuated
A helicopter has hit the top of a hotel, killing the pilot with hundreds of guests being evacuated from the scene
A helicopter has crashed into the top of Hilton DoubleTree Hotel in the earlier hours of this morning in Cairns, killing the pilot and forcing hundreds of guests to be evacuated. The incident happened at around 2 a.m. local time, or 16:00 GMT Sunday. Police said the call was raised immediately to get emergency services to the scene.
Incident Details
The Queensland state police said the twin-engine Squirrel AS355 helicopter crashed into the roof of a hotel, sparking a fire downstairs that swept through parts of the building. The pilot was declared dead at the scene and leaves a grim aftermath of the incident.
Those at the scene described the great noise before the accident, including panicking people, hotel staff, and guests. Most guests were in the rooms or at least in the lobby during the incident, thus panic took over as further possible realization of the bad situation occurred among the people.
Evacuation and Emergency Response
The emergency services promptly reached the situation and tried to ensure the safe evacuation of the guests in the hotel. Hundreds of them were evacuated from the hotel and taken to an evacuation center close to them.
According to the local authorities, a number of guests were treated for minor injuries and smoke inhalation, but other than this, there were no other casualties. The guests, many of whom had been in the facility for a number of years, were still in shock at the situation; it is still hard to imagine the fact of leaving everything in such a rush to flee.
Rescue operations worked overnight in clearing the rubble and securing the remains in order to put out the fire that erupted from the crash. Investigations are ongoing to find out the reason for this accident, and the hotel is now closed.
Investigations Underway
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau and the Queensland Police Service have investigated the crash. Investigators are now looking through the remains of the helicopter and talking to eyewitnesses to establish exactly what caused the accident.
ATSB indicates that it will analyze the flight data captured from the helicopter and maintenance records to establish what caused the crash. Initial assessment, however, indicates that the helicopter developed some complications during its approach into the hotel.
Community Reaction and Support
The shocking incident occurred in a beach-loving town that boasts a busy tourism trade from its positioning near the Great Barrier Reef. Businesses and locals have since spoken of their devastation for the pilot, who lost his life tragically, and indeed for those others involved.
No one can imagine witnessing the incident; it was shocking for everyone there. It has been said that community leaders call on people to unite in the wake of such tragedy. Support services were provided so that the evacuated people from the hotel could meet counselors for help in coming out of the shock.
Safety Measures and Future Precautions
In light of this accident, the local authorities are now examining into the safety procedures concerning helicopter flight operations carried out in urban areas. This is certainly of concern to places like Cairns, which have seen a disproportionate amount of growth in helicopter tours and charter services over recent years, requiring a much greater awareness of safety for locals and tourists.
Attention also remains on how a tragedy of such proportions could happen and what kind of adaptation of measures can be thought of in order to avoid the non-occurrence of such incidents in times to come.
Conclusion
The helicopter crash at the Hilton DoubleTree Hotel in Cairns has casualties in terms of the life lost, as well as creates a massive disruption to hundreds of guests. As emergency services still triage the scene, the community comes together to help the visitors. Now, investigators have to painstakingly piece together what caused the crash and implement safety measures to safeguard the members of the public in the future.
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