Two killed as helicopter hits crane (From Harwich and Manningtree Standard)
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Two killed as helicopter hits crane
11:38am Wednesday 16th January 2013 in National News © Press Association 2013
The scene where a helicopter crashed in central London after hitting a crane on top of a tower block by the River Thames (Victor Jimenez/PA)
Two people have died and several have been injured after a helicopter crashed in central London and plummeted into rush-hour traffic.
The helicopter spun out of control and crash-landed after clipping a crane on top of one of Europe's tallest residential towers.
It fell from from the sky before exploding into flames, plunging on to a street near Vauxhall station.
The two people killed were the pilot and someone on the ground, emergency services said.
Firefighters rescued a man from a burning car and brought a blaze caused by the crash under control.
Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe confirmed two deaths, one person critically injured and a number of others with less serious injuries.
Cloud in central London was very low at the time of the accident, which happened at around 8am, said weather forecasters.
