A mid-air collision between two helicopters kills 4 in Australia: one of them lands on a sandbank
Sylvie Claire / January 2, 2022
Two helicopters collided in mid-air on Monday, killing four people and seriously injuring three others in a popular Australian tourist destination, authorities said.
An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident on the popular Gold Coast coastline in the southeast of Queensland, Australia.
Television images showed the rotors of one aircraft lying on a sandbar a few meters from the shore. Nearby, one of the two helicopters was overturned on the sand, according to ABC public television. The other aircraft appeared largely intact at the scene of the tragedy, which is near the Sea World marine theme park.
The two helicopters "collided," with one crashing and the other landing "on the sandbar right next to Sea World Park," Queensland Police Inspector Gary Worrell said. "As a result, four people lost their lives today" and "three others are in critical condition in hospital," he added during a media briefing at the scene.
The exact cause of the collision is not known, but it appears that one helicopter was taking off when the other was landing, Worrell said. The one that landed safely had lost its windshield, while the other crashed and overturned, police said.
Rescue operations were complicated by the location of the accident, on a sandbar, the inspector noted. But he stressed that passers-by rushed to extract passengers from the aircraft whose cabin had overturned.
Members of the public and police tried to get people out and started (giving) first aid to try to get them to safety," the officer added, before "thanking everyone who helped and allowed these people to be taken to emergency care. »
At the scene, a bright yellow rescue helicopter landed on the sand after the accident, while dozens of rescuers spread out on the ground, according to television footage. Several police and rescue vessels stood by near the sandbar littered with debris from the two helicopters.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau announced the opening of an investigation into the accident, presented as a "mid-air collision". Investigators were expected to be on site to examine the wreckage, map the site and recover evidence, the agency said in a statement. The office appealed to witnesses who may have seen the helicopters in flight or may have images.