Several injured in helicopter crash
Six people, including a 100-year-old man, were injured after a helicopter with six people on board crashed on Tuesday near Sala, northwest of Stockholm, Swedish police said.
"A 100-year-old man and some of his family members were flying to the Ljusterö island in the Stockholm archipelago to celebrate his birthday," a police spokesman told AFP.
As the helicopter was taking off from outside the nursing home where the 100-year-old lived, the rotor struck a tree and an electric pole before falling from a low altitude and slamming down on its side, police said.
"The helicopter started burning. Fortunately, a passerby managed to get a fire extinguisher from either the nursing home or from a neighboring clinic and put out the fire," the police spokesman added.
All five passengers and the pilot were Swedish citizens, he said, adding that while initial reports had indicated that the helicopter was registered in Estonia it was also possible that it may have been registered in Lithuania.
The four people accompanying the 100-year-old, including one seven-year-old child, were all male and all but one had the same last name.
The 100-year-old was transported to a large hospital in Uppsala, where no information was forthcoming about his condition.
"I have heard that he may have broken an arm," the police spokesman said, emphasizing however that that information was unconfirmed.
The five other people on board suffered only minor injuries but were being kept at a smaller hospital in nearby Vaesteraas for overnight observation, a hospital spokeswoman told AFP.
AFP
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"A 100-year-old man and some of his family members were flying to the Ljusterö island in the Stockholm archipelago to celebrate his birthday," a police spokesman told AFP.
As the helicopter was taking off from outside the nursing home where the 100-year-old lived, the rotor struck a tree and an electric pole before falling from a low altitude and slamming down on its side, police said.
"The helicopter started burning. Fortunately, a passerby managed to get a fire extinguisher from either the nursing home or from a neighboring clinic and put out the fire," the police spokesman added.
All five passengers and the pilot were Swedish citizens, he said, adding that while initial reports had indicated that the helicopter was registered in Estonia it was also possible that it may have been registered in Lithuania.
The four people accompanying the 100-year-old, including one seven-year-old child, were all male and all but one had the same last name.
The 100-year-old was transported to a large hospital in Uppsala, where no information was forthcoming about his condition.
"I have heard that he may have broken an arm," the police spokesman said, emphasizing however that that information was unconfirmed.
The five other people on board suffered only minor injuries but were being kept at a smaller hospital in nearby Vaesteraas for overnight observation, a hospital spokeswoman told AFP.
AFP
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