Two dead as helicopter crashes in central London
[gallery] [gallery] Two people died today and nine others were injured after a helicopter plummeted to the ground in a ball of flame in the centre of London.
The stricken craft hit an 800ft tall crane before falling to the ground where it smashed into two cars before exploding in a fierce fireball.
It happened on major route in Vauxhall, close to Battersea Bridge on the River Thames and the nearby tube and bus stations, just after 8am.
Eyewitnesses told how the helicopter burst into a huge ball of flames before coming down.
Burning wreckage and aviation fuel covered the road as fire crews, ambulances and police arrived at the scene.
The helicopter was seen to career into a crane at St George's Tower, demolishing the top of the crane, before plummeting to the ground just off Wandsworth Road, at its junction with South Lambeth Road. Workers in the area said low cloud cover may have affected the pilot's visibility.
Twenty-five fire engines and scores of police cars, vans and ambulances were sent to the crash as calls to the emergency services poured in. Only the pilot was thought to be on board the helicopter.
Two cars were set alight when the helicopter fell on them. The driver of one was rescued from his burning vehicle by firefighters .
Witness Sarah-Beth Casey, who lives nearby, said: "When I heard the explosion, it was like a little earthquake. I looked up to see debris falling off the tower."
Matt Haverson was doing construction work on railway arches nearby. He said: "All we could see was the cars on fire, everyone made sure whoever was in there was out, tried to extinguish small fires where they could."
