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WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — An unauthorized helicopter flight in Australia’s Queensland state crashed into the roof of a hotel early Monday, killing one man and forcing hundreds of people to evacuate the building as the aircraft became engulfed in flames.
Cairns City authorities said they had not yet confirmed the identity of the pilot, the reason for the takeoff or how the tourist helicopter took off from Cairns Airport.
About 400 people were evacuated after a helicopter crashed into the roof of a Cairns hotel and caught fire.
The accident happened before 2 a.m. at the Hilton DoubleTree Hotel. Police announced a restricted area around the scene, which is still in effect… pic.twitter.com/4PYWFAAkvR
— 10 News First Queensland (@10NewsFirstQLD) August 11, 2024
Queensland Police Acting Superintendent Sean Holmes told reporters a couple staying at the hotel were hospitalized with smoke poisoning and later released. No one else on the ground was injured.
A helicopter crashed into the roof of a Cairns hotel in Queensland, Australia, and the hotel was evacuated#breakthrough #Cairns #Queensland #Australia pic.twitter.com/A1H3GDni9j
— Bobby Ellison (@BobbyEllisonKY) August 11, 2024
Holmes said it was unclear whether the man flying the helicopter had a pilot’s license or worked for Nautilus Aviation, which owns the vehicle.
“There is no further threat to the community and we believe this is an isolated incident,” Holmes said.
Nautilus Airlines said in an unsigned written statement that it was an “unauthorized” flight but did not provide further details.
Cairns Airport chief executive Richard Barker said Monday’s preliminary findings did not indicate any shortcomings in “the airport’s security program or processes”.
About 400 people were evacuated from hotels after the crash occurred early in the morning in the busy tourist district of Cairns, a tropical city of 150,000 in the far north of Queensland state that is in the height of the holiday season. Witnesses told local news media the crash sounded like a bomb blast.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), smoke and flames appeared from the roof of the Hilton DoubleTree Hotel, and one of the helicopter’s rotor blades fell into the hotel’s swimming pool.
The building remains sealed off while its structural integrity is reviewed.
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