Television footage showed the rotors of a helicopter on a sandy beach a few meters off the coast of the Gold Coast in southeast Queensland, Australia.
Nearby, one of the helicopters capsized on sand near the beach, according to public broadcaster ABC.
The other plane appeared largely intact at the crash site near the Sea World theme park.
Inspector Gary Worrell of Queensland Police said the two planes “on impact, crashed onto the sandy beach next to Sea World”.
“Four people died today as a result of this,” he added during a press conference, and “three others are in critical condition in hospital.”
Television footage showed a yellow rescue helicopter landing on the sand after the accident, while dozens of rescue personnel were deployed at the scene.
Police and emergency services ships stood by near the sandy beach, where the wreckage of the two helicopters was strewn.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau announced an investigation into the accident, which was presented as a “mid-air collision”.
In a statement, the office confirmed that investigators are waiting for the arrival of investigators to inspect the accident site, draw a map of it, and collect investigation materials.
#Video #dead #collision #helicopters #Australia