Istanbul helicopter crash: Five killed after helicopter collides with TV tower

Chloe Chaplain10 March 2017

Five people have been killed after a helicopter crashed into a TV tower in dense fog in a residential district of Istanbul.

The helicopter was said to have been carrying “high-level business executives” when it crashed on a motorway in Buyukcekmece – an area on the outskirts of the Turkish city.

The Sikorsky S-76 helicopter span off-course after taking off from Istanbul's main Ataturk airport with two pilots, four Russian nationals and one Turkish official.

The district's mayor Hasan Akgun told local news sites that he had seen five bodies at the scene of the crash.

Helicopter: Debris from the crash on the side of the road
tvnet

Ambulance and fire crews have rushed to the scene and images and video footage show parts of the helicopter strewn across the side of the road.

Eyewitness Fikret Karatekin, a taxi driver, told CNN-Turk television by telephone that the helicopter slammed into the tower before crashing on the highway.

Crash: The helicopter was carrying seven passengers when it crashed onto a motorway
tvnet

"It hit the tower and crashed by spinning," he said, adding that the highway had been closed down.

Crash: Emergency crews have rushed to the scene
DHA

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

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