At Least Nine People Fatally Injured In The Accident

The number of people fatally injured when a Scottish police helicopter impacted a pub in Glasgow, Scotland late last week has been increased to nine as officials removed the wreckage from the fire-devastated building Monday morning.

The accident occurred Friday night (local time) as about 120 people were inside the pub to hear a performance by a ska band. The aircraft went down on the roof of the building for undetermined reasons. Three people on board the aircraft and at least six in the building were fatally injured.

Rescue crews had to tunnel under the aircraft in an effort to locate any additional casualties. The French news service AFP reports that Scottish Fire and Rescue Service assistant chief officer David Goodhew said there was still a possibility that there could be people alive in the basement of the building, but they would not be able to determine that until the aircraft wreckage was removed and they could access the rest of the building.

The Eurocopter aircraft was hoisted out of the building largely intact, which officials say indicate that it may have come to rest on the flat roof of the building which later gave way under the three-metric-ton weight of the aircraft.

Goodhew said that it was possible that additional casualties would be found as they sift through the rubble of the building.

FMI: www.caa.co.uk