CHOPPER TRAGEDY
Helicopter pilot killed in horror fireball crash into top of Hilton hotel sparking mass evacuation
The public are being asked to stay away
A HELICOPTER pilot has died after crashing into the top of a luxury Hilton hotel sparking a mass evacuation.
The chopper smashed into the roof of the Double Tree Hotel in Cairns, Australia, at around 1.50am Monday local time.
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The pilot was the only person on board at the time with Queensland Police confirming they died.
Two elderly guests at the hotel were also reportedly injured in the crash and taken to hospital, local media reported.
The hotel sits on the waterfront of the city and is a subsidiary of the American giant Hilton.
All 400 people in the hotel were evacuated with any fuel lying around having the "potential to explode".
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Witnesses described a red helicopter flying away from the hotel and then flying back "straight into the building".
A piece of the helicopter lay on the berm outside the building as residents gathered near it during the evacuation.
One person walking by on the street immediately after the crash described the scene as "madness".
The clips showed red fire lighting up the top of the building against the dark night.
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A siren wailed to evacuate residents of the eight story building.
She said: "It's smashed right in."
"Boy that was going fast the helicopter too... a red helicopter... it went past twice.
"It was just going out of control that thing was."
A small fire could also be seen on the ground level of the hotel below where the chopper had landed.
Queensland Police said the helicopter crash caused them to put in an exclusion zone to keep the public away from the aviation crash.
The Public Safety Preservation Act (PSPA) zone includes Esplanade, Minnie Street, Abbott Street and Florence Street.
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