SYDNEY — A helicopter crashed into the roof of a Hilton hotel in northeastern Australia on Monday, police said, killing the pilot and igniting a blaze on the building's roof.
Mangled pieces of the helicopter's propeller landed in the hotel's pool, said an emergency services official, adding that two other bystanders had been taken to hospital in a stable condition.
Hundreds of patrons were evacuated from the DoubleTree by Hilton, in the tropical northern city of Cairns, after the twin engine helicopter crashed around 1:50 a.m. local time.
"The pilot and single occupant of the aircraft was located and declared deceased at the scene, and forensic investigations are underway to formally identify them," police said in a statement.
Images showed a bright plume of fire blazing on the hotel's roof.
"They just flew into that building," a female voice says in a video shared on social media that captured the aftermath.
"Madness, man," she adds as sirens blare in the background.
Debris from a helicopter is seen after it crashed into the roof of the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Cairns, Australia 12 August 2024. EPA-EFE/BRIAN CASSEY AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT A broken window and damaged rooftop is seen at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel after a helicopter crashed into its roof, in Cairns, Australia 12 August 2024. Police have declared a Public Safety Preservation Act in Cairns after the chopper crashed into the building shortly before 2am on Monday, August 12. EPA-EFE/BRIAN CASSEY AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT epa11546235 Emergency services work at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel after a helicopter crashed into its roof, in Cairns, Australia 12 August 2024. EPA-EFE/BRIAN CASSEY AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT epa11546230 Emergency service works are seen at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel after a helicopter crashed into its roof, in Cairns, Australia 12 August 2024. EPA-EFE/BRIAN CASSEY AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT Emergency services work at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel after a helicopter crashed into its roof, in Cairns, Australia 12 August 2024. EPA-EFE/BRIAN CASSEY AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT Debris from a helicopter is seen after it crashed into the roof of the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Cairns, Australia 12 August 2024. EPA-EFE/BRIAN CASSEY AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT Debris from a helicopter is seen after it crashed into the roof of the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Cairns, Australia 12 August 2024. EPA-EFE/BRIAN CASSEY AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
"Shivers. People were living in that. It smashed right in."
Queensland Ambulance supervisor Caitlin Denning said the aircraft's propellers had "dislodged".
"One landed on the Cairns Esplanade and there was a second propeller located in the hotel pool on the bottom floor and it was on fire," she told local media.
"There were reports of it sounding like a bomb, and seeing the fire and smoke, a lot of the occupants of the hotel were unsure of the situation."
The roof fire appeared to have died down later in the morning.
Cairns is a popular tourist hub that offers a gateway to Australia's famed Great Barrier Reef.
A team of government experts from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau have been dispatched to the crash site.
The safety bureau appealed for witnesses to come forward if they had "photos or video footage of the aircraft at any phase of the flight" or if they "heard the helicopter prior to impact".