Vauxhall Helicopter crash: Two confirmed dead

The two people who died as a result of a helicopter crash in Vauxhall, London, on Wednesday morning have been named...

15:19 17 January 2013

PUBLISHED 14:17 16 January 2013 UPDATE 17 January 2013

 

Two people who died as a result of a helicopter crashing into a crane on a building site in Vauxhall, London, have been named. The incident, which took place on Wednesdaymorning, left two men dead and several others injured.

 

The pilot who died as a result of the crash has been named as Peter Barnes, with the second man to have been killed being named as Matthew Wood, officials said on Wednesday night.

 

The helicopter crashed into a crane which was situated on top of a building, and this resulted in burning debris being found on the ground below. It is thought that misty weather conditions may have led to the crash.

 

The incident, which happened at 8.00AM at St. George Wharf, South Lambeth, in central London, was attended to by London’s fire brigade.

 

According to a report by the Daily Mail, two other men probably escaped injury because they were supposedly late for work at the crane.

 

Disruption to traffic was caused as a result of the crash, with roads close to Vauxhall Cross being closed. It is also understood that Vauxhall Underground station was shut, meaning train services were also affected.

 

One source, Chris Matthison, who witnessed the crash, told the BBC: “I heard a very unusual dull thud, then there was silence. The silence really took my imagination. Emergency services responded very quickly."

 

Nearby worker Paul Ferguson also commented on the situation when speaking to 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.”

 

It is thought there are no suggestions to say the incident was connected with terrorism, with many reports around the time of the crash referring to misty weather.

 

This is one of two incidents to have happened in central London around rush hour this week, following a fire being found on a train on Thursday morning which led to the evacuation of Victoria station.

 

Victoria station, which was reopened after the fire service extinguished the blaze, is also close to the River Thames.