WORLD> America
US helicopter crashes on hospital's roof
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-05-30 12:14

WASHINGTON -- A helicopter crashed on Thursday on the roof of a hospital in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, causing thick and black smoke and leaving two persons injured.

John Vansolkema, the city's fire chief, told reporters that the helicopter crashed at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in the late morning.

Two people on board managed to escape before the helicopter caught fire, and there were no patients in it, he said.

However, the accident forced patients to be evacuated to other buildings on the hospital's campus and employees were also taken to the places of safety for fear that fuel may have leaked into the hospital, police said.

A witness, Lynda Ignatoski, told the Grand Rapids Press that she saw the helicopters tail hit a radio tower on the hospital's roof and exploded in flames with its debris flying everywhere.

Chicago office of the Federal Aviation Administration said they were investigating the incident.