A male pilot and the single occupant of a helicopter has died after it crashed into the roof of a Cairns hotel in the early hours of Monday morning.
Up to 400 guests at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel were evacuated following the crash shortly after 2am.
Two people, a man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s, taken to hospital in a stable condition.
Stay up-to-date on the latest news with The National Briefing – keeping you in the loop with news as it hits:
Two of the helicopter’s rotor blades came off the main body and landed on the esplanade and in the hotel’s pool.
Queensland Ambulance senior operations supervisor in Cairns Caitlin Denning said the noise from the impact had frightened those nearby.
“There were reports of it sounding like a bomb, and seeing the fire and smoke, a lot of the occupants of the hotel were unsure of the situation,” she said.
“There is a lot of unease here.”
Queensland Police established a Public Safety Preservation Act in Cairns City following the incident.
The inclusion zone includes Esplanade, Minnie Street, Abbott Street, and Florence Street, and the public is asked to avoid the area.
Police remain on the scene investigating the incident. The Australian transport Safety BUreau are also sending a team of investigators.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting or call 131 444.