Two killed and two injured as helicopter crashes into crane on new Thames-side skyscraper and falls on rush-hour traffic
- Helicopter hit crane at top of St George Wharf Tower in central London today and cartwheeled before exploding
- Struck ground 20 yards from Vauxhall station and area is being evacuated because of precarious position of crane
- Plume of smoke visible at 8am with bystanders saying weather was bad and you could 'hardly see top of building'
- Eyewitnesses saw 'a flash and helicopter plunged to the ground', 'people were screaming after it crashed'
By MARK DUELL and HUGO GYE
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Two people died and at least two more were injured today after a helicopter struck a newly built tower and plunged into rush hour traffic in central London.
Witnesses said the helicopter hit a crane at the top of the tower near Vauxhall Bridge in Vauxhall, central London, at 8am.
The helicopter, which hit the under-construction St George Wharf Tower, was reported to have been carrying a pilot but no passengers. It struck the ground just 20 yards from Vauxhall station, which is a major commuting hub in the capital.
Witnesses reported very low cloud at the time of the accident, suggesting the pilot may not have seen the crane which was barely visible from street level. It's believed that at least two cars were hit by debris from the crash.
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Road on fire: Emergency services were called to the scene near Battersea Bridge at Vauxhall, central London, after reports at 8am that the aircraft had hit a crane
Explosion: Witnesses reported very low cloud at the time of the accident, suggesting the pilot may not have seen the crane which was barely visible from street level
On fire: One Twitter user posted a dramatic photograph showing burning wreckage in the road
The area was being evacuated after the crash because of the precarious position of the crane at the top of the tower. Nearby Vauxhall and Waterloo stations have been closed.
It then spiralled out of control to the streets below before exploding and striking at least two cars.
London Fire Brigade said it had received numerous calls about the incident. Firefighters were en route to the scene with 22 appliances.
The London Ambulance Service said it was responding to the incident but had no further details.
Eyewitness Robert Oxley told Sky News: ‘There’s a very low hanging cloud which means you can hardly see the top of the building and that would explain why the helicopter hit it.
Smash: A pall of smoke was visible near the River Thames in Vauxhall, London, amid reports that a helicopter has crashed
On location: Eyewitnesses took to Twitter to report details - and one user said it crashed close to a railway line
'This is right next to Vauxhall Bus Station, which is a major commuting point. We arrived to find the area sealed off. Suddenly everyone was exiting their vehicles.'
The crash happened close to the home of Gareth Thomas, the former Welsh rugby star who is now competing in Dancing on Ice.
He tweeted his shock at the collision: 'OMG!!! In car on way to skating and just hearing the helicopter has crashed metres from my home!! Hope everyone in the area is OK.'
Local resident Colin Kavanagh told MailOnline there was a 'huge explosion'. He was having breakfast and looked out to see a huge plume of smoke and 'men in fluorescent jackets running around'.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'We had a call at approximately 8am this morning and we are dealing with an incident. We are still waiting for some further details at the moment.'
Eyewitnesses took to Twitter to report details. One said it crashed close to a railway line. Another user posted a dramatic photograph showing burning wreckage in the road.
Scene: It's believed the helicopter, which hit the under-construction St George Wharf Tower, was only carrying a pilot
Commuter Sherna Noah described seeing a ‘large plume of dark grey smoke’ as she crossed Battersea Bridge at around 8am.
She said: ‘I was coming across the bridge and basically I could see a few cyclists on the bridge looking towards the water.
‘I looked over to see what they were looking at and could see a pall of grey smoke coming from the south side. You could see a large plume of dark grey smoke.’
Video footage shot on a mobile phone showed an entire road blocked by burning wreckage and aviation fuel. The side of a building on one side of the street was also damaged by the flames.
Passers-by stood watching as the wreckage burned. A motorcycle was also lying on its side in the road having been abandoned. One eyewitness reported seeing cars on fire and hearing people screaming.
Aftermath: A Twitter user posted this picture of a mangled crane at the top of St George Wharf Tower
As rush-hour traffic built up, the A3036 Wandsworth Road in Vauxhall was closed in both directions between Vauxhall Cross and the Lansdowne Way junction.
People took to Twitter to report gridlocked traffic in the area, with emergency services struggling to get through.
The First Capital Connect train company warned its passengers to expect travel difficulties in the Vauxhall area, although its services were not affected.
Flying conditions this morning were reflected in the fact that London City Airport in Docklands had delays due to poor visibility.
Paul Ferguson, who was working in an office near the incident, told BBC News: ‘There was a flash and the helicopter plunged to the ground. It exploded and you can imagine the smoke coming out of it.
Response: London Fire Brigade said it had received numerous calls about the incident and firefighters were en route to the scene
Before the crash: This is the normal view of the under-construction St George Wharf Tower in London
‘It was probably heading from the nearby heliport. It may be that on this misty morning the lights on nearby St George's Tower weren't on and it moved and clipped the edge of the crane and lost control.’
Eyewitness Chris Matthison told BBC News: ‘There was some damage to the crane. It's possible the crane is lying across Nine Elms road.
‘The top of the nearest building is steeped in mist and difficult to see.’
He added: ‘I heard a very unusual dull thud, then there was silence. The silence really took my imagination. Emergency services responded very quickly.’
Transport for London said buses in the Vauxhall area were subject to diversion and delays due to the incident. People were advised to avoid the area and seek alternative routes.
Erin Rogers was waiting at a bus stop outside Vauxhall station.
He told BBC News: ‘It was a bit surreal actually. I just had a coffee in my hand, I looked up, heard a bang and saw bits of crane debris falling to the floor.
‘Then the helicopter was in flames. The rest of the people at the bus station were looking on going "What was that?" It's something I will never forget for a long time.’
VIDEO: Flames engulf Wandsworth Road after helicopter crashes
VIDEO: Smoke billows from helicopter crash site
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263213/Two-killed-injured-helicopter-crashes-crane-new-Thames-skyscraper.html#ixzz2I86KT2cC
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