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Helicopter crashes into crane in London | |
(35 minutes later) | |
A helicopter has crashed into a crane at a building site in south London. | |
Police said it appeared the helicopter had hit the crane on top of a building. They said it was too early to confirm any casualties. | |
Ex-BBC producer Paul Ferguson said the helicopter "plummeted straight into the ground". People have reported seeing a pall of smoke in the area. | |
Police said they first received calls at 08:00 GMT and the London Ambulance Service said it was also at the scene. | |
Transport for London has confirmed there has been an incident. | |
Mr Ferguson added: "The building the helicopter hit is shrouded in mist." | |
He said the crane at the top of the building was now hanging down the side of the building. | |
'Huge smoke cloud' | |
Witnesses reported seeing debris on the ground. | |
Quinn Murray was cycling when he saw the crash. | |
He said: "I saw the helicopter hit the top of the crane and come down just to the left of the station. | |
"There was quite a large amount of fire and a huge smoke cloud. It wasn't on the road, but into a building site where they are building the new Nine Elms area. | |
"There's a huge number of emergency services." | |
Commuter Sherna Noah described seeing a "large plume of dark grey smoke" as she crossed Battersea Bridge at about 08:00 GMT. | |
She said: "I was coming across the bridge and basically I could see a few cyclists on the bridge looking towards the water. | |
"I looked over to see what they were looking at and could see a pall of grey smoke coming from the south side. | |
"You could see a large plume of dark grey smoke." | |
Nicky Morgan, the MP for Loughborough, witnessed the crash while walking towards Vauxhall station from the Lambeth Palace direction. | |
She said she heard an enormous bang and saw clouds of black smoke. | |
The BBC's Ross Hawkins said at least four ambulances and many police cars were at the scene. | |
He said Wandsworth Road near Vauxhall station is closed, with apparent debris on the ground, and a crane at the top of a new high rise development appears to be damaged. |