Michael Winter, USA TODAY 11:13 p.m. EST November 29, 2013
Firefighters work at the scene of a helicopter crash at The Clutha pub in Glasgow, Scotland(Photo: Andrew Milligan, EPA)
[h=3]Story Highlights[/h]
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A Scottish police helicopter crashed through the roof of a crowded pub in Glasgow on Friday night, leaving many people injured and others trapped in the rubble.
The Eurocopter EC135 T2 plunged into The Clutha about 10:25 p.m. (5:25 p.m. ET), said Police Scotland, the national police force.
Eyewitnesses and police reported that about 120 people were inside the popular pub, on the banks of the River Clyde. The three-member helicopter crew included two officers and a civilian pilot.
Asst. Chief Officer Lewis Ramsay with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said rescuers had made contact with some people trapped inside the pub, but it was unclear how many people were awaiting rescue.
He said teams — including 125 firefighters on the scene — were working to stabilize the building and "get people out."
Officials say a number of people have been rescued and taken to hospitals but that it is too soon to comment on the number of casualties. Scotland's leader, Alex Salmond, warned that fatalities are likely.
"It's a horrible, horrible scene, but well done to the folk who were here," Jim Murphy, a Labor Party minister of Parliament who was driving past and stopped to help, told the BBC. "Everyone formed a chain of people from inside the pub to outside, and the fire brigade and everyone were here very quickly."
One photo posted to Twitter showed the crumpled Police Scotland blue helicopter on the roof with the rotors sticking out from the pub. The sky was clear and calm before the crash.
"There was no fire ball and I did not hear an explosion. It fell like a stone," Gordon Smart, a local newspaper editor, told Sky News. "The engine seemed to be spluttering."
The pub was packed with the usual Friday night crowd, drinking and listening to a nine-piece ska band.
"Midway through their set it sounded like a giant explosion," 34-year-old Fraser Gibson, a former band member, told the BBC. "Part of the room was covered in dust. We didn't know what had happened. We froze for a second; there was panic and then people trying to get out the door."
Grace MacLean, who was inside at the time of the crash, said she heard a "whoosh" noise then saw smoke.
"The band were laughing and we were all joking that the band had made the roof come down," she told the BBC. "They carried on playing, and then it started to come down more, and someone started screaming, and then the whole pub just filled with dust. You couldn't see anything, you couldn't breathe."
People formed a human chain to help pass unconscious people out of the pub so that "inch by inch, we could get the people out," said Labour Party spokesman Jim Murphy, who was in the area when the helicopter came down.
"The helicopter was inside the pub. It's a mess. I could only get a yard or two inside. I helped carry people out," Murphy told Sky News. "I saw a pile of people clambering out of the pub in the dust. No smoke, no fire, just a huge amount of dust."
The musicians reportedly escaped unhurt.
Neighbors reported hearing "this bang," and "then we heard people coming out and screaming," one woman said.
Deputy Chief Constable Rose Fitzpatrick said it was too early to offer details on why the helicopter came down.
Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: "My thoughts are with everyone affected by the helicopter crash in Glasgow - and the emergency services working tonight."
Contributing: Associated Press
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Firefighters work at the scene of a helicopter crash at The Clutha pub in Glasgow, Scotland(Photo: Andrew Milligan, EPA)
[h=3]Story Highlights[/h]
- People remain trapped inside a Glasgow pub after a police helicopter crashed into its roof
- Eyewitnesses and police reported that about 120 people were inside when the crash occurred
- Rescuers are working hard to stabilize the building and "get people out"
SHARE 18 CONNECT EMAILMORE
A Scottish police helicopter crashed through the roof of a crowded pub in Glasgow on Friday night, leaving many people injured and others trapped in the rubble.
The Eurocopter EC135 T2 plunged into The Clutha about 10:25 p.m. (5:25 p.m. ET), said Police Scotland, the national police force.
Eyewitnesses and police reported that about 120 people were inside the popular pub, on the banks of the River Clyde. The three-member helicopter crew included two officers and a civilian pilot.
Asst. Chief Officer Lewis Ramsay with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said rescuers had made contact with some people trapped inside the pub, but it was unclear how many people were awaiting rescue.
He said teams — including 125 firefighters on the scene — were working to stabilize the building and "get people out."
Officials say a number of people have been rescued and taken to hospitals but that it is too soon to comment on the number of casualties. Scotland's leader, Alex Salmond, warned that fatalities are likely.
"It's a horrible, horrible scene, but well done to the folk who were here," Jim Murphy, a Labor Party minister of Parliament who was driving past and stopped to help, told the BBC. "Everyone formed a chain of people from inside the pub to outside, and the fire brigade and everyone were here very quickly."
One photo posted to Twitter showed the crumpled Police Scotland blue helicopter on the roof with the rotors sticking out from the pub. The sky was clear and calm before the crash.
"There was no fire ball and I did not hear an explosion. It fell like a stone," Gordon Smart, a local newspaper editor, told Sky News. "The engine seemed to be spluttering."
The pub was packed with the usual Friday night crowd, drinking and listening to a nine-piece ska band.
"Midway through their set it sounded like a giant explosion," 34-year-old Fraser Gibson, a former band member, told the BBC. "Part of the room was covered in dust. We didn't know what had happened. We froze for a second; there was panic and then people trying to get out the door."
Grace MacLean, who was inside at the time of the crash, said she heard a "whoosh" noise then saw smoke.
"The band were laughing and we were all joking that the band had made the roof come down," she told the BBC. "They carried on playing, and then it started to come down more, and someone started screaming, and then the whole pub just filled with dust. You couldn't see anything, you couldn't breathe."
People formed a human chain to help pass unconscious people out of the pub so that "inch by inch, we could get the people out," said Labour Party spokesman Jim Murphy, who was in the area when the helicopter came down.
"The helicopter was inside the pub. It's a mess. I could only get a yard or two inside. I helped carry people out," Murphy told Sky News. "I saw a pile of people clambering out of the pub in the dust. No smoke, no fire, just a huge amount of dust."
The musicians reportedly escaped unhurt.
Neighbors reported hearing "this bang," and "then we heard people coming out and screaming," one woman said.
Deputy Chief Constable Rose Fitzpatrick said it was too early to offer details on why the helicopter came down.
Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: "My thoughts are with everyone affected by the helicopter crash in Glasgow - and the emergency services working tonight."
Contributing: Associated Press
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