Four dead after mid-air helicopter collision in Queensland
Sydney, Australia, Jan 2 (EFE).- Four people have been killed in a mid-air collision between two helicopters near Sea World theme park on Australia’s Gold Coast, police said Monday.
Three others were in critical condition after the crash at around 2pm local time, Queensland Police Service Acting Inspector Gary Worrell said in a press conference, describing it as a “difficult scene.”
It’s understood the seven people killed or critically injured were traveling in the same helicopter. Others had minor injuries.
Queensland Ambulance said it was assessing 13 people, and later added that “eight patients were transported to Gold Coast University Hospital, and one patient was transported to Queensland Children’s Hospital following the earlier incident at #MainBeach.”
Worrell said it appears one helicopter was taking off and one was landing when the incident happened.
One of the helicopters plunged to the ground, landing upside down on a sandbank, while the other managed to land safely.
Photos show the landed chopper with a Sea World logo and missing its front windscreen.
Members of the public and police tried to help those in the accident, which occurred on a busy beach near Sea World tourist attraction during the holiday period and on a windy day.
“Those people were confronted with a significant incident,” Worrell said, thanking all those involved in the rescue.
The Australian Transport and Safety Bureau is investigating the collision and appealed for witnesses. EFE
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