Helicopter crash in Vauxhall, London
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From Twitter user @nic0
Images from near the scene of the incident during the Wednesday rush-hour See gallery
Two people have died and nine people injured when a helicopter crashed into a crane in central London and plummeted to the ground.
In this picture, fuel from the helicopter can be seen burning on a nearby road.
From twitter user @tom_avis
Witnesses reported seeing debris falling from the sky after the aircraft struck the crane before exploding into flames.
From Twitter user @vctrjmnz
The helicopter then plummeted down to a street near Vauxhall station in rush hour.
Bing map of St George Wharf, the location of the crash
Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe confirmed that there were two deaths, one person critically injured and a number of others with less serious injuries.
Location image from St George Wharf
Eye witness Sharon Moore, a local resident, described the scene to MSN UK as "like something from a movie".
Fog obscures the crane into which the helicopter crashed
London Fire Brigade station manager Bruce Grain, one of the first firefighters at the scene, said it "was absolute chaos".
Debris on a near by road - image from Transport for London
However, Mr Grain added that the fire from the crash was put out within 20 minutes.
St George Wharf Tower and the crane
Eight fire engines, four fire rescue units and around 60 firefighters and officers attended the scene of the crash, a few hundred yards from the MI6 building, on a busy road.
As the fog evaporates, a clearer view of the damage
Firefighters rescued a man from a burning car and brought a blaze caused by the crash under control.
The crane's extension hangs at its side
Four fire engines and two fire rescue units also attended reports of a crane in a precarious position. The brigade was called at 8am.
Burnt wreckage
The crane was on top of a building called The Tower in the St George Wharf development, and is billed as one of Europe's tallest residential towers.
Burnt wreckage can be scene after fires were extinguished
Video footage shot on a mobile phone showed an entire road blocked by burning wreckage and aviation fuel.
Local transport was shut down
The side of a building on one side of the street was also damaged by the flames.
Nearby roads are sealed off
Passers-by watched as the wreckage burned. A motorcycle was seen lying on its side in the road where it was abandoned.
Vauxhall Bridge Road is closed
Paul Ferguson, who was working in an office near the incident, said: "There was a flash and the helicopter plunged to the ground."
Emergency services
"It exploded and you can imagine the smoke coming out of it," Mr Ferguson added.
From @ukroadsapp
"It may be that on this misty morning the lights on nearby St George Tower weren't on and it moved and clipped the edge of the crane and lost control."
Ambulances and fire engines near the scene
The aircraft involved is understood to be an AgustaWestland AW109, a lightweight, twin-engine helicopter with eight seats.
