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Ammi · 14-03-2014, 04:23 AM

Four people have died after a civilian helicopter crashed in thick fog.

Emergency services were called at 7.30pm yesterday following reports the aircraft had come down in Gillingham, near Beccles, Norfolk, near the border with Suffolk.

All four people on board were pronounced dead at the scene after it crashed in a field containing a wooded area, Norfolk Police said.

The victims have not yet been named as officers inform their next of kin.

The accident site is near Gillingham Hall, a stately home owned by Northern Ireland peer Lord Ballyedmond.

It was reported that the helicopter was flying to Northern Ireland, though police refused to comment on where it had taken off from or what its destination was.

Inspector Louis Provart said: "Emergency services are working together in difficult conditions to secure the scene and carry out an initial investigation into the circumstances.

"Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of those who have sadly lost their lives this evening."

Emergency services were called by members of the public who heard a loud crash, though Mr Provart would not say whether there was an explosion and refused to speculate on the cause of the crash.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been informed and a team will be sent to investigate the crash, a spokesman said.

Three ambulances, two doctors and one rapid response car attended the scene, along with a police helicopter and fire services.

A spokeswoman for East of England Ambulance Service said: "Sadly, it is believed that four people in the helicopter are believed to have died in the crash. Ambulance resources have now been stood down from the scene. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those who have lost their lives."

Roland Bronk, owner of The Swan House inn and restaurant in Beccles, said it was "very foggy" in the area. Mr Bronk said he heard customers talk about "a lot of police activity and ambulances".

One Twitter user, @andrew89mufc, said thick fog might have played a part in the crash, adding : "Helicopter crashed very close to my house in Gillingham tonight. I heard it flying over the house.

"I live in Worlingham on Park Drive. My garden backs onto the woodland leading to Gillingham. I heard a helicopter circling the house for about 15 mins at around 7:45. This may have been air ambulance or police searching though."

He added: "Can't see my hand in front of my face. No sign of scene of crash."

Taxi driver Mark Murray, 22, from Beccles, said: "There is a large stately home nearby and you often see helicopters coming and going from there.

"When they have a game shoot the guests often all arrive in separate helicopters. We don't know if that is linked, but that's the only helicopter activity we see in this area."

Helen Roberts, a forecaster at the Met Office, confirmed that large parts of East Anglia had been hit by mist.

She said: "There has certainly been some fog around south Norfolk, and the Norwich area has been in fog.

"There has been widespread mist around East Anglia and low visibility quite widely across East Anglia. Mist means low visibility, and it has been misty quite widely throughout the evening."

Norfolk Police said the crash site will remain cordoned off today while officers continue a forensic examination of the scene. Roads in the area have been closed.

The scene is 45 miles from the spot where four crew members died when a US military helicopter crashed on a training mission in a nature reserve in Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk.

In January, a Pave Hawk from RAF Lakenheath was taking part in a low-flying training exercise when it came down.

Residents described hearing a "'heavy and very unusual'' noise from the helicopter seconds before the crash, in which a ll four US crew members were killed

http://news.uk.msn.com/helicopter-cr...fog-kills-four