Police helicopter crashes into Scottish pub, death toll stands at eight
A police helicopter crashed through the roof of a pub in Scotland, killing at least eight people, police said to press on Saturday.
At least twelve were also injured when the chopper plunge through building, including members of the band playing at the Glasgow pub.
“The band were laughing, and we were all joking that the band had made the roof come down,” Grace MacLean told the BBC.
“They carried on playing, and then it started to come down more, and someone started screaming, and then the whole pub just filled with dust. You couldn’t see anything, you couldn’t breathe,” MacLean explained, describing the noise as a “whoosh” as the building filled with smoke.
Grace MacLean, who was inside the pub at the time, said she heard a “whoosh” noise and then saw smoke.
Some reports list as many as fourteen injured from the incident at The Clutha Pub.
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond called it a “black day” and ordered flags to fly at half-mast, while a minute’s silence was held ahead of a soccer match between Falkirk and Rangers.
On a day Scotland celebrates St Andrew’s Day, emergency services were combing through the rubble and friends and relatives were praying their loved ones were not among the dead.
Video coverage by AP (screenshot) below features more witness testimony – watch it HERE
