Three others are in serious condition after a midair crash between two helicopters in Australia that left four persons dead.
On the Gold Coast, south of Brisbane, close to the well-known tourist area of Main Beach, the crash took place around 2:00 p.m. local time.
Regional duty officer for the southeast Queensland Police Inspector Gary Worrell informed reporters that "the two aircraft, when colliding, had crash landed on the sand bank just out from Sea World Resort."
He noted that despite being close to the seaside, it had been challenging for rescue services to reach the sand bank.
According to Queensland Ambulance Service's Jayney Shearman, there were 13 persons on the two helicopters (QAS). Four of them passed away, three were seriously hurt, while six only had minor wounds like scrapes from shattered glass.
She said that all of the injured had been brought to a hospital.
Photos from the scene show employees assembled on land, wreckage strewn on a strip of sand, and numerous vessels in the nearby waterways.
Worrell stated that although it is too soon to ascertain the precise cause of the accident, preliminary information indicates that the two helicopters collided as one was taking off and the other was landing.
The windscreen of one helicopter has been taken off, and it has safely landed on the island. Helicopter number two had crashed, and it was on its side.
After the crash, he said, local law enforcement and members of the public flocked to the scene in an effort to rescue and treat people aboard the chopper.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's (ATSB) Chief Commissioner, Angus Mitchell, announced in a statement that an investigation into the crash had begun.
Mitchell stated that investigators from the ATSB's Brisbane and Canberra offices will be sent to the scene to gather information, examine the wreckage, map the area, and speak with witnesses and other interested parties.
He requested that anyone who saw the crash or the helicopters in flight get in touch with the investigation. According to him, a preliminary report will be released in the following six to eight weeks, followed by a full report once the inquiry is over.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk posted a message on Twitter in which she offered her "deepest sympathy" to those impacted, including the families of the fatalities. She called what transpired on the Gold Coast today "an unimaginable tragedy."
Police have advised drivers and pedestrians to stay away from Sea World Drive, which has reportedly been closed to traffic.
The primary entrance to the popular tourist destination marine park located in the Gold Coast's central business district is Sea World Drive. Now that schools are out for the lengthy summer break, the area is experiencing its busiest travel season.
