Two people were killed and 12 were injured when a helicopter crashed into a crane in central London.
Police said the helicopter hit the crane on top of The Tower, One St George Wharf at about 08:00 GMT.
About 80 firefighters were at the scene near Wandsworth Road in South Lambeth. Doctors said one of the dead was the pilot and the other was on the ground. Six people were taken to hospital.
The pilot had asked to be diverted to a nearby heliport because of bad weather.
Jon Horne, chief executive of Redhill Aerodrome Ventures, where the helicopter began its flight, said it was owned by the Rotormotion private charter firm.
Metropolitan Police Commander Neil Basu told BBC News it was "miraculous" the crash was not much worse.
Burning wreckage lay in the road but the fire was brought under control within 25 minutes, the fire brigade said.
One of those taken to hospital had a broken leg and the others had minor injuries. Seven people were treated at the scene.
Part of the crane was left hanging from the side of the residential building, which is still under construction. London Fire Brigade said part of the tail section of the helicopter landed on roof of the building and the main section landed in Wandsworth Road, hitting two cars. The fire from the helicopter ignited two buildings.
The helicopter was on a scheduled flight from Redhill in Surrey to Elstree in Hertfordshire, according Mr Horne at Redhill.
A spokesman for London Heliport at Battersea said the pilot had requested to divert and land there due to bad weather.
"Damaged people are dangerous because we know we can survive"
The Lights on the crane might not have been working and it is true... there are videos all over the place and hundreds of witnesses. the pilot had requested to land at Battersea heliport, but reports are saying that he might have been refused as he was under orders to stay on course
"Damaged people are dangerous because we know we can survive"
Oh no, I know the accident happen. Just seems very suspicious.
Yeah, they say the helicopter was flying erratically before it crashed and had requested a divert.
What if it had crashed into MI6? It seems more luck than anything that it didn't.
It doesn't matter where you come from; it matters where you go.
No-one gets remembered for the things they didn't do.
We won't all be here this time next year,
so while you can take a picture of us.
We're definitely going to hell,
but we'll have all the best stories to tell.
It's not a conspiracy theory if it's logical. :P
Look at the maps. If it had flown another second or two, it could have landed in the middle of MI6's fortress.
How is that secure?!
It doesn't matter where you come from; it matters where you go.
No-one gets remembered for the things they didn't do.
We won't all be here this time next year,
so while you can take a picture of us.
We're definitely going to hell,
but we'll have all the best stories to tell.
depends on the helicopter... single engine helicopters are told to take the same route as the thames. that way, if it crashes, it will go into the river and not take out buildings. If it's a dual engine, it's fine to fly over the city.
"Damaged people are dangerous because we know we can survive"
Officially he was diverting to the London heliport just minutes down the river. He didn't see the building or crane despite the lights due to the think fog.
What confuses me is how more people weren't hurt. This is central london during morning rush hour and nobody was around?
It's nothing more than a tragic accident, it's just a little confusing, especially as I know the helicopter procedures in London, and he broke all of them.
~ SilentBoy
Some people just need a high-five. To the face. With a chair.
It's not a conspiracy theory if it's logical. :P
Look at the maps. If it had flown another second or two, it could have landed in the middle of MI6's fortress.
How is that secure?!
How is any building ever secure?
Even as the stone of the fruit must break
that its heart may stand in the sun,
so must you know pain.
There are only two ways in which one can live their life. One is as though nothing is a miracle, the other is as though everything is.
Vauxhall cross which is the building for the secret intelligence service is "secure" in the sense that you can't just drive in to the car park and walk through the front door. That's all.
~ SilentBoy
Some people just need a high-five. To the face. With a chair.
Flight rules over London are pretty weird. But he was diverting to the heliport because it was too foggy, sadly he got lost and crashed on the way there
~ SilentBoy
Some people just need a high-five. To the face. With a chair.
As I understand it he wasn't happy with the conditions so was trying to get there for safety. No report from the AAIB yet so we'll have to wait and see
~ SilentBoy
Some people just need a high-five. To the face. With a chair.
