A helicopter crashed in the northern Australian city of Cairns and landed on the roof of a well-known hotel. The pilot died in the accident, which occurred at around two o’clock in the morning (local time), Queensland state police said. Parts of the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel went up in flames after the impact.
Two rotor blades landed in the pool and on the street, ABC reported. Around 400 people were evacuated from the building as a precaution. Two elderly people were slightly injured and are being treated in hospital. There were no other passengers in the helicopter besides the pilot.
Flight was not approved
The hotel is located directly on the Esplanade, the popular waterfront promenade in Cairns in tropical Queensland. The area is a no-fly zone. The charter company Nautilus Aviation announced that the use of the helicopter was “unauthorized.” The company is working closely with the police and other authorities to clarify the incident, the operators emphasized.
A hotel guest reported a “huge, deafening bang.” It sounded as if a bomb had hit. Shortly afterwards, flames shot up the side of the building. The police then evacuated all guests.
Cairns, with around 160,000 inhabitants, is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and is popular with tourists from all over the world. The esplanade right on the sea is lined with hotels, bars and restaurants and has an artificial saltwater lagoon for bathers. To the northwest of the city lies the Daintree National Park with rainforests and beaches.
