黑洞社区

Berkeley Group chairman Tony Pidgley has said to the 鈥渂est of my knowledge鈥� no construction workers were injured following a helicopter crash at the developer鈥檚 One St George鈥檚 Wharf construction site in Vauxhall.

A helicopter collided with the 50-storey building鈥檚 tower crane in heavy fog and crashed in flames in a nearby street, killing two people and injuring 13.

Pidgley described the incident as a 鈥渢ragedy鈥� and said his thoughts were with 鈥渢hose that have been lost and their families鈥�.

Reports have suggested the crane driver had a lucky escape as he was running late for work, meaning he was not in the crane cab as expected when the helicopter hit. A witness 鈥� who claimed he spoke to the crane driver after the crash 鈥� corroborated this account with 黑洞社区.

But Pidgley said he 鈥渃ouldn鈥檛 believe鈥� the crane driver would have been sent up to operate the crane in heavy fog.

He said it was 鈥渘ormal procedure鈥� not to operate a crane 鈥渋n those conditions鈥� but said he couldn鈥檛 say 鈥渃ategorically鈥� what the crane driver was told this morning.

He said it was too early to say what impact if any the crash would have on the construction timetable but said 鈥渢o the best of the knowledge [of the people on the job] there鈥檚 no structural damage to the building鈥�.

Police confirmed earlier today that whether the red warning lights on top of the crane were functioning correctly will form part of their investigation.

Pidgley said the crane driver had said 鈥渢he light was working last night鈥� and tests had been conducted on the lights which found they were working.

The Press Association reported that 鈥渋t is understood that there were lights in place on top of the crane, which were checked twice a day and had been checked yesterday鈥�.

The London Fire Brigade said this afternoon that there is .