Astonishing good luck of crane driver who had been climbing 500ft tower when ヘリコプター struck after arriving LATE for work

• 証言，証人／目撃するs 解任する seeing '大規模な 爆発' as 乗り物 衝突，墜落d into crane
• 操作者 would have been killed if he had arrived at work on time
  
• Two dead and 12 負傷させるd in 悲惨な 事故 in Vauxhall, central London
  

By Hugo Gye and 示す Duell

Published: 11:00 BST, 16 January 2013 | Updated: 18:45 BST, 16 January 2013

A crane 操作者 only 生き残るd the Vauxhall ヘリコプター 衝突，墜落 because he was running late and had not reached his cabin when the 航空機 （機の）カム 負かす／撃墜する, it was 明らかにする／漏らすd today.

Lorry driver Paul Robinson, 42, who 証言，証人／目撃するd the terrifying 衝突／不一致, said the man would have been 'wiped out' if he had been on time this morning.

Instead, the 操作者 was still climbing up the crane's 軸 when the ヘリコプター struck its にわか景気 and cab.

Scroll 負かす／撃墜する for ビデオ

狭くする escape: The crane 操作者 at St George Wharf was supposed to be in the cabin at the time a ヘリコプター 衝突，墜落d into it on Wednesday morning

The harrowing 出来事/事件 left two people 含むing the 操縦する dead and another 12 負傷させるd after the ヘリコプター flew into building 作品 on 最高の，を越す of the UK's tallest 居住の 超高層ビル at St George Wharf in Vauxhall.

場所／位置 労働者s said the man, who has not been identified, had never been late before. He is understood to have been held up while dropping his children at school.

Mr Robinson said: 'He was halfway up to his cabin, he was making his way up by ladders when the ヘリコプター 攻撃する，衝突する.

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'He would have been wiped out if he had been on time. It was a very lucky escape.'

The father-of-two, from Dagenham in east London, said he was '100 per cent' sure the man would have been killed if he had already been in position.

The crane 操作者, who had been harnessed to the structure, is now understood to be 回復するing from his ordeal.

破壊: The 操作者 would not have 生き残るd if he had not been late for work

Mr Robinson said he was waiting in a 列 to 運動 into the 場所／位置 when the 衝突，墜落 happened.

As 破片 fell from the sky and 攻撃する，衝突する the 支援する of his lorry, he leapt out, believing another driver had bumped into him.

But as he looked up, he saw a 'ball of 解雇する／砲火／射撃'. He 追加するd: 'I just ran. I panicked. My mind went blank and fuzzy.

'There was a ball of 解雇する／砲火／射撃 and someone said the ヘリコプター had come 負かす／撃墜する and 攻撃する，衝突する the crane. It was terrifying.'

Climb: The 操作者 was on his way up the tower at the time of the 事故; an RNLI 労働者 is pictured in 前線 of the building

Another crane 操作者 told BBC News how he 証言，証人／目撃するd the ヘリコプター 現れる from the morning 霧, then '粉砕する 権利 into the crane and 削減（する） the cab in half'.

He 追加するd: 'The cab went backwards and started going 負かす／撃墜する に向かって the 床に打ち倒す, and the ヘリコプター was 注ぐing smoke and went on about a mile.

'When I went over there, I spoke to the crane driver who was on his way up there. He was やめる shaken but lucky because he's not dead.'

The driver commented, 'I'm going to go and do the 宝くじ,' によれば the 無名の 証言，証人／目撃する.

Tony Pidgley, chairman of the tower's developer Berkeley Group, said: 'The crane driver 普通は starts at eight o'clock but 異常に, today of all days, was late.'

Another 証言，証人／目撃する, Edmir Pishtar, said he also spoke to the 操作者 who was about to get inside the crane cab.

'He was literally shaking because he was getting ready to climb into the crane and he was late,' Mr Pishtar said.

If the 操作者 had been inside the crane at the time it was 攻撃する，衝突する, he would almost certainly have died or been very 本気で 負傷させるd.

And he was not the only workman to have a 狭くする escape - a group of 建設業者s was moved to どこかよそで on the 場所／位置 minutes before the ヘリコプター ploughed into the 位置／汚点／見つけ出す where they were scheduled to be working.

The 請負業者s were supposed to work at the very to p of the 超高層ビル, but 延期するd their ascent to take a 配達／演説／出産.

'They had a miraculous escape,' said a waiter who talked to them at the cafe where he 作品. 'If they had been at the 最高の，を越す of that building they could have been killed.'

Another 目撃者 述べるd the horror of seeing the 影響 of 破片 from the 航空機 hitting her 同僚 in the 脚.

Sharon Sullivan, who 作品 at the New Covent Garden Flower Market, just 200 yards from the 衝突，墜落 場所／位置 at St George Wharf, told Sky News the ヘリコプター's gearbox 攻撃する，衝突する another 労働者.

'We just heard an almighty bang and one of the 同僚s shouted that there was a 爆弾,' Ms Sullivan said.

When she ran outside to a 負担ing bay, 'a 同僚 from the market was lying on the 床に打ち倒す with a bit of the gearbox in his 脚,' she 追加するd.

She said the man had 明らかに broken his 脚, and 述べるd how 労働者s covered him in 一面に覆う／毛布s to 保護する him from the 冷淡な while they waited for 緊急 services to arrive.

'It's a busy 負担ing bay, but thankfully today it wasn't too busy,' Ms Sullivan said, 追加するing that the market was の近くにd for the day in the wake of the 事故.

爆発: 目撃者s tweeted pictures of the 影響 of a ヘリコプター 衝突，墜落 in London

炎: The street caught 解雇する／砲火／射撃 in the 影響 of the 衝突，墜落 as 破片 rained 負かす／撃墜する on the area

証言，証人／目撃する Sharon Moore, who lives on an 広い地所 近づく the 衝突，墜落 場所／位置, said she saw the 航空機 slice through the crane 'as if it was a piece of paper'.

The 36-year-old mother of five 述べるd 審理，公聴会 four bangs and watching two cars 爆発する.

She said: 'My daughter was so traumatised, it was so shocking. It sounded like a 大規模な 爆発, like something whining in the sky and then it just went bang.

'You couldn't see a lot at first because of the 霧. The ヘリコプター did not seem to know which way to turn and then it just dropped, it sliced, screeching into the metal. It sliced it as if it was a piece of paper. It just ripped apart.'

She 追加するd: 'We looked up and we heard firstly the ヘリコプター and one minute it was 飛行機で行くing 普通は and the next it was 存在 erratic.

'It was 激しく揺するing and shaking from 味方する to 味方する and then it went straight into the arm of the crane.

'The ヘリコプター just （機の）カム spiralling 負かす／撃墜する and then it 攻撃する，衝突する at least one car that was 運動ing に向かって Vauxhall.'

She went on: 'I called the police and they got there in seconds. We could then see them trying to pull people out of the cars.'

大混乱: The scene was すぐに …に出席するd by dozens of 緊急 services 労働者s

支配（する）／統制する: The streets around the 衝突，墜落 場所／位置 in Vauxhall were の近くにd off

Ms Moore said she was unable to see any lights on 最高の，を越す of the crane this morning.

'Usually I can see a red light on 最高の，を越す of the cabin but today you couldn't see anything,' she said. 'I think it was because the building was covered by 霧.

'いつかs that happens all day and you wonder how they are meant to see... I honestly think it was like the 操縦する was blinded.'

The ヘリコプター 衝突，墜落 was 証言，証人／目撃するd by many 通勤（学）者s who were on their way to work in the 急ぐ hour.

示す Louis Sidney, who was 長，率いるing for Vauxhall 駅／配置する, told Sky News: 'I heard a loud bang, I looked up and saw bits of プロペラ and parts of the 航空機 落ちるing off it and then 急落するing 負かす／撃墜する. Then a plume of smoke went up.

'I called the 緊急 services. It happened in a 事柄 of a seconds before it was on the ground. I thought, "Wait a minute, has this thing been 発射 out of the sky or what?"

'I could see the 最高の，を越す of the crane was shaking on the 最高の，を越す of the building. It was very 霧がかかった so the ヘリコプター probably couldn't see it.'

Shock: This photograph by Quin Murray was the first many heard of the 災害

Fallen: Another Twitter 使用者 地位，任命するd a pictured of the crane 破片 lying in the road

保守的な MP Nicky Morgan was walking に向かって Vauxhall when the 事故 happened, and said she thought it was a 爆弾 爆発.

She told BBC News she realised something '劇の' had happened because of the 厚い 黒人／ボイコット smoke.

'Within a minute there were サイレン／魅惑的なs, so you felt that the 緊急 services were すぐに 反応するing, which was 慰安ing. It is a terrible, 予期しない 悲劇.'

The 衝突，墜落 happened の近くに to the home of Gareth Thomas, the former Welsh rugby 星／主役にする who is now competing in Dancing on Ice.

He tweeted his shock at the 衝突／不一致: 'OMG!!! In car on way to skating and just 審理，公聴会 the ヘリコプター has 衝突，墜落d metres from my home!! Hope everyone in the area is 承認する.'

地元の 居住（者） Colin Kavanagh told MailOnline there was a '抱擁する 爆発'. He was having breakfast and loo ked out to see a 抱擁する plume of smoke and 'men in fluorescent jackets running around'.

目撃者 Steve Carslake told BBC 無線で通信する 5 Live that he saw a car 爆発する with someone 明らかに 罠にかける inside.

燃料: The ヘリコプター 燃料 caught light and 脅すd houses on the street

大虐殺: An abandoned motorcycle in 前線 of the ヘリコプター's 塀で囲む of 炎上

Two drivers who work at the St George Wharf 場所／位置 述べるd how 破片 （機の）カム raining 負かす／撃墜する on their トラックで運ぶs, followed by the crane's にわか景気.

Ray ワットs and Paul Robinson were with a group of about 20 労働者s waiting outside the building to start work when the 出来事/事件 happened.

Mr ワットs said the only 推論する／理由 he was not in his トラックで運ぶ at the time was because he had stopped to 雑談（する） with a 安全 guard.

述べるing the 大混乱／混沌とした moments after the 衝突，墜落, he said: 'As we looked up with the bang, we saw the crane coming 負かす／撃墜する and we ran.

証言，証人／目撃する: Rezart Islami 述べるd his shock at seeing the ヘリコプター 衝突，墜落

'It was only when we got to the corner out of the way that we looked 支援する and saw the にわか景気 had 攻撃する，衝突する the 支援する of the トラックで運ぶ, 攻撃する，衝突する [Mr Robinson's] トラックで運ぶ 同様に.

'Then, as we were at the corner, we saw the 炎上s from the ヘリコプター. It was scary - you don't know which way to run because it was coming 負かす／撃墜する all over the place.'

Rezart Islami, 27, a construction 労働者 who had been on a nearby 場所／位置, said he saw the ヘリコプター 飛行機で行くing 急速な／放蕩な up the river before it 粉砕するd into the crane which then fell and 攻撃する，衝突する two cars.

'I was shocked, it was spinning around and lost 支配（する）／統制する,' he said.

場所／位置 経営者／支配人 Andy Slimm said the ヘリコプター 'spun' in the 空気／公表する then 衝突，墜落d just yards from where his 乗組員 was working.

'I heard it hovering above then an 抱擁する bang,' he said. 'The jib （機の）カム 負かす／撃墜する and then the ヘリコプター.

'It happened so quick - we were in shock. It's not every day you see a ヘリコプター come 衝突，墜落ing に向かって you.

'It just 行方不明になるd a 範囲 Rover, but bounced in 前線 of two other cars. Then there was two loud bangs and both cars just went up in 炎上s. Then it was plumes of smoke.'

安全 guard Alha Bangura said he saw people 存在 pulled from the 燃やすing 乗り物s by 緊急 staff.

He said: 'I saw the ヘリコプター 落ちる 負かす／撃墜する and I just froze, I could not move. It was very scary.

'There were three cars on the road when the crane （機の）カム 負かす／撃墜する and then two loud bangs.

'The 救急車 people were getting people out of their car. I saw two people sitting at the 味方する of the road with their 長，率いる in their 手渡すs.'

場所: The to wer is in the heart of London 近づく Vauxhall 駅／配置する and a number of other 目だつ 場所／位置s

Alex Melville, 34, was working in a motorbike shop at the time of the 衝突，墜落, and 急ぐd to the scene to see if he could help.

'I ran に向かって the 場所／位置 and it was just an inferno,' he said.

'The ヘリコプター was lying on the ground （海，煙などが）飲み込むd in 炎上s. It was shocking, just horrible. We knew that whoever was in there was dead.

'There were a lot of people who had 急ぐd to the street to see what had happened. The 炎上s were 燃やすing ひどく, and all you could smell were the acrid ガス／煙s.

'There was a woman in a ゴルフ car and a man in a 範囲 Rover who were 運動ing in the street when the ヘリコプター 攻撃する，衝突する. The 黒人／ボイコット ゴルフ caught alight and was 燃やすing pretty 不正に, but luckily the woman had managed to get out.

'After a few seconds we heard another 爆発, that was the ゴルフ car 存在 （海，煙などが）飲み込むd in 炎上s. It was just a 大規模な 解雇する／砲火／射撃 ball.

'The ヘリコプター was a mangled mess, it was 燃やすing for ages. There were around 50 解雇する／砲火／射撃 乗組員 負かす／撃墜する there, and there was a serious 量 of smoke.'

One of the first firefighters on the scene said it was '絶対の 大混乱', but 明らかにする／漏らすd that the ヘリコプター 炎 was 消滅させるd within 20 minutes.

駅／配置する Officer Bruce 穀物 said the ヘリコプター had clipped the crane, spun out of 支配（する）／統制する and 衝突，墜落-landed, hitting several 乗り物s.

'It burst into 炎上s, which spread to 隣接する buildings,' he told the 圧力（をかける） 協会.

'I could see smoke from a mile away. There was 絶対の 大混乱. The ヘリコプター was still alight, part of the rotor blade was on the roof of nearby buildings.

'The 解雇する／砲火／射撃 was brought under 支配（する）／統制する within 20 minutes. We were aware that the ヘリコプター could have had a 十分な 戦車／タンク of 燃料, but we just used water.'

?VIDEO? 燃やすing and panic. 目撃者s 述べる what they saw...?

損失: This picture from Twitter shows how the crane was 部分的に／不公平に torn apart

通勤（学）者 Patrick Garland 追加するd: 'I was riding my bike in to work and was about 40 metres from the construction 場所／位置 when I heard a 抱擁する 衝突／不一致 and a lot of shouting from 労働者s on the 場所／位置.

'I looked up and saw the ヘリコプター having just 衝突，墜落d into the crane. 破片 and rotors had sprayed everywhere and the ヘリコプター had gone into large cyclical 宙返り飛行s across Nine Elms and into the flower market.

'A 抱擁する plume of acrid 黒人／ボイコット smoke rose and you could see the orange glow of the actual 炎上s. The crane arm （機の）カム 衝突，墜落ing の上に the road and there was 破片 落ちるing everywhere.

'Myself and another cyclist 緊急発進するd for a bus 避難所 to 避ける the 落ちるing 破片. There was metal work - crane tubing and cabling and other building 構成要素s - raining 負かす／撃墜する.'

Erin Rogers was waiting at a bus stop outside Vauxhall 駅／配置する. He told BBC News: ‘It was a bit surreal 現実に. I just had a coffee in my 手渡す, I looked up, heard a bang and saw bits of crane 破片 落ちるing to the 床に打ち倒す.

‘Then the ヘリコプター was in 炎上s. The 残り／休憩（する） of the people at the bus 駅／配置する were looking on going, "What was that?" It's something I will never forget for a long time.’

Scene: Dozens of 緊急 労働者s 急ぐd to the street, which was の近くにd to the public

Sarah-Beth Casey lives in an apartment 近づく the 出来事/事件. She told Sky News: ‘You're always worried about things like 9/11 and things like that. I have three small children with me in the flat. It's one of your 恐れるs that something like this can happen. When I heard the 爆発 - it was like a little 地震.’

She went on: ‘It was like a gas 爆発. I looked up to see 破片 落ちるing off the tower. I can't see any people on the ground, it seems to be a l ucky escape. The police and 救急車 返答 was incredible.’

Nic Walker said the ヘリコプター 衝突，墜落d on to the street outside his house, setting a car on 解雇する／砲火／射撃.

He said: 'I was awake in bed and heard a ヘリコプター. I was aware of some funny sounds and then a loud engine noise, then a 抱擁する bang.

'I flung open my window and looked out to see 解雇する／砲火／射撃 across the street. I pulled on some 着せる／賦与するs and ran out to help.

'There were two people 負傷させるd on my 味方する of the 解雇する／砲火／射撃. I think one was a motorcyclist. One seemed to have an 注目する，もくろむ or brow 傷害.'

'I ran 負かす／撃墜する with a guy to check the car. No driver but we couldn't get の近くに enough to see the 支援する. I took a guy 負かす／撃墜する to check the car was empty but had to pull 支援する from 解雇する／砲火／射撃 and 爆発s.

'That car was later gutted by the 解雇する／砲火／射撃. There were 第２位 爆発s going on so we had to get 支援する. It was smokey as hell too.'

VIDEO 調査s remain in place at London ヘリコプター 衝突，墜落 場所／位置?