A mid-air collision between two helicopters near Seaworld on Australia‘s Gold Coast has resulted in four fatalities.
According to Queensland Police’s preliminary investigations, the collision occurred while one aircraft was taking off and the other was landing.
The identical helicopter carried those who died. Three further people are in serious condition.
Minor injuries were sustained by two of the six passengers aboard the other aircraft, which had to make an emergency landing.
The crash occurred at around 14:00 local time, and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is looking into it (04:00 GMT).
The two planes crashed down close to Main Beach, a popular tourist destination approximately 75 kilometers (47 miles) south of Brisbane.
According to Queensland Police Service spokesperson Gary Worrell, the four fatalities and three grave injuries all took place in the same aircraft.
“It’s a difficult scene,” he said. “Due to the area it’s located, on the sand bank, it was difficult to gain access, to get our emergency services to the scene to manage it appropriately.”
Images from the accident site show the area littered with wreckage and a broken helicopter that appears to be resting upside down next to the Seaworld resort.
The other helicopter, which is marked on its fuselage with the emblem of a well-known marine park, appears to have made an emergency landing following the incident.
Local police have blocked off traffic on Seaworld Drive, the main entrance to the marine park.
They advised drivers and pedestrians to stay away from the area while emergency personnel assessed the situation.
Investigators from the ATSB’s offices in Brisbane and Canberra are being deployed to the scene to gather evidence, examine the wreckage and interview witnesses.
ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell has also asked eyewitnesses who saw the collision or the helicopters in flight to contact investigators.
A preliminary report will be made public in the next six to eight weeks, with a final report to follow once the investigation is complete, he added.
The Gold Coast region is currently in its peak tourist season, with children on their summer breaks.