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Scottish helicopter crash: Dozens remain trapped
11/30/2013 9:37:41 AM
- NEW: Police: Responders are "working hard to recover people still inside the building"
- At least 32 people have been taken to local hospitals, police say
- The pub was packed with Friday night drinkers when the helicopter crashed through the roof
- "Most of the helicopter appeared to be inside the pub," politician Jim Murphy says
(CNN) -- An unknown number of people remained trapped inside a Scottish pub after a police helicopter rammed into the roof on a busy weekend night.
At least 32 people were taken to local hospitals after the incident in Glasgow, authorities said Saturday.
Emergency responders "are working hard to recover people still inside the building," said Deputy Chief Constable Rose Fitzpatrick, of Police Scotland.
The helicopter carrying two police officers and a civilian pilot crashed into a downtown pub crowded with Friday-night revelers, authorities said.
"Everyone was really confused and scared," said Grace Maclean, who was in the pub listening to a band when the crash occurred. "No one had a clue. There was no explosion. No bang. It was really quiet."
The crash at the Clutha Bar occurred as patrons listened to the Esperanza band, which had taken the stage a short time earlier.
"Most of the helicopter appeared to be inside the pub," said Jim Murphy, a UK member of parliament who arrived at the site moments later and saw people scrambling out to get out. Murphy represents a portion of Glasgow.
Patrons described a surreal scene followed by confusion.
"We were watching the band and there was kind of like a (roof) panel fell, there was a whoosh of dust, then we laughed that the band said, 'We didn't think we were going to bring the roof down,'" Maclean said. "The roof didn't come down. ...It didn't come completely down anyway."
After the crash, an outburst of noise followed.
"Everyone was yelling (for) their friends, but everyone seemed to find everyone," Maclean said.
Christina O'Neill, who saw the crash from her apartment across the street, said she heard what sounded like a low-flying airplane.
"I thought that didn't sound right for a couple of seconds," she said.
After the sound of impact, she saw smoke and people running from the pub.
"I know there were a lot of people lying on the ground kind of getting looked into," she said.
In a Facebook posting, the band indicated that all its members made it out safe.
"It seems that the band are all OK. Not so sure about everyone else," the post said.
The pub's Facebook page contained numerous posts from people concerned about the incident.
It was too early to tell how many people were trapped, Police Scotland said in a statement.
But those trapped in the debris were communicating with rescuers, said Lewis Ramsay of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
"Given an incident of this scale we must all prepare ourselves for the likelihood of fatalities," the head of the Scottish government, Alex Salmond, said on his official Twitter account.
Hours after the crash, the helicopter with "police" on its damaged tail was still smoldering.
An investigation has been launched, but it's too early to know why the helicopter came down, Fitzpatrick said in a statement.
CNN's Greg Botelho, Nic Robertson and Elwyn Lopez contributed to this report.
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