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Two Helicopters Collided On Australia's Gold Coast, Resulting In 4 Deaths And Several Injuries

The collision occurred around 2 p.m. local time on Jan 2nd near the popular tourist strip of Main Beach on the Gold Coast, south of Brisbane

Two Helicopters Collided On Australia’s Gold Coast, Resulting In 4 Deaths And Several Injuries

A midair collision between two helicopters in Australia has left four people dead and three others in critical condition. The collision occurred around 2 p.m. local time on Jan 2nd near the popular tourist strip of Main Beach on the Gold Coast, south of Brisbane, and resulted in the deaths of four people and the critical injuries of three others.

“Those two aircraft, when collided, have crash landed on the sandbank just out from Sea World Resort,” Queensland Police Inspector Gary Worrell, a regional duty officer for the southeastern region, told reporters.

The proximity to the shore made it impossible for rescue responders to reach the sandbank. Thirteen individuals were aboard the two helicopters, according to Jayney Shearman, from the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS). There were four casualties, three critical injuries, and six minor injuries, including wounds from broken glass.

According to Worrell, it is too soon to ascertain the specific reason for the accident, but preliminary inquiries indicate that one helicopter was taking off and the other was landing when they collided.

 One helicopter “has its windscreen removed, and it’s landed safely on the island. The other (helicopter) has crashed, and it was upside down,” he said.

He stated that following the accident, neighboring police and members of the public rushed to the spot, attempting to remove and provide first aid to individuals within the chopper.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk expressed her “deepest sympathies” for the victims’ families and everybody affected. “What has happened on the Gold Coast today is an unthinkable tragedy,” she said.

Sea World Drive has been blocked to traffic, and cars and pedestrians are advised to avoid the area, according to the police.