Australia : A helicopter on an unauthorised flight crashed into a hotel roof in Cairns
SYDNEY – A helicopter on an unauthorised flight crashed into a hotel roof on Monday in Cairns, northern Australia, killing its pilot and causing a fire that led to a mass evacuation, the police announced.
The incident took place at Hilton’s HLT.N Double Tree Hotel in Cairns, a gateway city on the route to the Great Barrier Reef, by a Nautilus Aviation-owned helicopter, which is under investigation for the unauthorised use of the craft.
“The pilot was found and declared dead, while forensic expertise is underway to identify their identity,” police said in a statement.
One of the helicopter’s blades fell into the hotel’s swimming pool, and emergency services reported two injured transferred to the hospital in stable condition.
According to the police, none of the people on the ground were injured, and hundreds of guests were evacuated from the hotel after the crash at midnight.
Investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and emergency crew members were dispatched to the site.
The city of Cairns, in the tropical north of Queensland State, is a popular tourist destination and gateway to the Grande Barrier Coral.
