No fewer than four people have died and three others are in a critical condition in hospital after two helicopters collided mid-air on Monday in Australia’s Gold Coast tourism destination, officials said.
Police later confirmed that the helicopters crashed to the ground, landing upside down.
The other helicopter managed to land near the Sea World theme park after the collision which occurred about 2pm local time (3pm AEDT). Passengers in that helicopter sustained minor injuries from glass shrapnel
A bright yellow rescue helicopter had landed on the sand nearby, its rotors spinning, images of the aftermath showed, as scores of rescuers spread around the area.
Several police and rescue vessels stood by just off the sandbank strewn with the wreckage of the two aircraft.
“Those two aircraft, when collided, have crash landed, and landed, on the sandbank just out from Sea World resort,” Queensland police service acting inspector Gary Worrell told a news conference at the scene.
Australia’s transport safety bureau launched an investigation into the incident, which it described as a “mid-air collision”.
Investigators were expected to arrive shortly to examine the wreckage and map the site, as well as recover components for examination, it said in a statement.