By Frank Kamuntu
Authorities reported that the incident occurred in the early hours of Monday morning, August 12, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of guests and staff from the luxury DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel.
Guests described being jolted awake by a loud bang, followed by alarm sirens and evacuation orders, with emergency services arriving promptly.
“The resulting impact caused a fire on top of the hotel; however, the building was evacuated as a precaution and no injuries were sustained by people on the ground. The pilot and single occupant of the aircraft was located and declared deceased at the scene, and forensic investigations are underway to formally identify him,” Cairns police said in a statement.
Footage from the scene captured flames and smoke rising into the night sky as onlookers watched in shock. A fire was visible on the building’s roof but was reportedly extinguished by dawn. The area, located in a busy tourist district, has been cordoned off by police. Nautilus Aviation, the charter company involved, stated it is cooperating with officials in investigating the “unauthorised use” of one of its aircraft.
In other news, a French-made plane with 62 passengers crashed in Brazil, killing all those on board. A frightening scene unfolded at the Hilton Hotel in Cairns when a twin-engine helicopter crashed onto the hotel’s roof, killing the pilot.
Videos showed the aircraft spiralling to the ground before it burst into flames, leaving a crumbled wreckage lying on the ground, connoting the end of the lives of a multitude of people.
Meanwhile, all the bodies had been retrieved by the rescuers on the scene as investigations continued.
