A midair collision between two helicopters in Australia on Monday has left four people dead and three others in critical condition. According to authorities, the collision happened around 2 p.m. local time near the popular tourist strip of Main Beach on the Gold Coast, south of Brisbane. Queensland Police revealed that initial investigations suggest the crash occurred as one aircraft was taking off and the other was landing, leading to the death of four passengers travelling in the same helicopter, while three others passengers are in critical condition.
Five of the six people on the other aircraft, which made an emergency landing suffered minor injuries.
Emergency services were called to the scene near the Sea World theme park at about 2 p.m. local time.
Acting inspector at the Queensland police, Gary Worrell told a news briefing that "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."
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said it had launched an investigation into the accident.
Helicopter debris was spread over a sandy outcrop after the collision, authorities closed Seaworld Drive, which leads to the crash site.
The Gold Coast region is one of the nation’s most popular tourism spots and is at its busiest in January, the peak time for holidays in Australia.
