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Sad! Helicopter crashes into hotel roof, k!ills pilot, others
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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A helicopter crashed into the rooftop of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Cairns, Australia, in the early hours of Monday, resulting in the death of the pilot, according to authorities.
The incident triggered a massive evacuation of hundreds of guests and staff, who were forced into the streets as flames and smoke engulfed the building, CNN reports.
The crash occurred near the popular Cairns Esplanade waterfront boardwalk, a hub for tourists in the north Queensland city. Police have secured the area, and Nautilus Aviation, the charter company owning the aircraft, is cooperating with investigators, revealing that the helicopter was used without authorization.
IDoubleTree by Hilton Cairns said all of its guests 421 adults and 50 children, plus two staff were safely evacuated, and the hotel was arranging alternative accommodation for guests on Monday night.
It is working with authorities on the investigation, it said.
They were evacuated into the street after the helicopter crashed into the building near Cairns Esplanade, a waterfront boardwalk popular with travelers in the north Queensland city.
Veronica Knight, who witnessed the incident noted that she was visiting Cairns from Sydney, and was sitting on the esplanade, talking on the phone after midnight, when she saw a helicopter fly by very low over the water.
It was going “full speed,” she told CNN. It disappeared from her sight for a few minutes, and she started walking home before seeing the helicopter flying back. As she pulled out her phone to film it, the helicopter veered and headed straight towards the nearby well-lit buildings.
Seconds later, it hit the roof of the hotel.
In a swift reaction, police cordoned off the area in the busy tourist strip, while charter company Nautilus Aviation said it was working with officials as they investigate the “unauthorized use” of one of the company’s aircraft.
The pilot and sole occupant of the helicopter was declared dead at the scene, police said.
Knight said the helicopter had passed over trees and another taller building before hitting the roof of the seven-story hotel.
“[The pilot] would have known those buildings were there,” said Knight. “The strange thing is it went straight past a tall building nearby, and it went straight past the tall one and got a lower one.”
Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, has declared that sitting with bandits to negotiate is not a good strategy.
He cautioned that negotiating with bandits would further enrich the terrorists, thereby worsening insecurity in the country.
He made the remark at a press conference on Tuesday in response to claims by the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Rabiu Kwankwaso, that he and the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, would hold talks with terrorists if elected into office in 2027.
According to Ganduje:, the role of the security agencies depends on the strategies that have been adopted. The Air Force helps to do its own due diligence, alongside the Army, Navy, the police, and the DSS. So, the issue of sitting with bandits to negotiate with them personally, I don’t appreciate that.
“Because, in Nigeria, having a gun without approval is illegal. How do you expect hundreds of bandits to come from the forests with their guns to sit down with local chiefs, chairmen of local governments, traditional rulers, or even the police and start negotiating? I think that system has failed, and it will continue to fail.
“This is because we are giving room to the bandits; we are arming them because the negotiation is that they should be allowed to operate here and there, they should be given money, transportation, motorcycles, and money for logistics. So, in a way, we are giving them an enabling environment to operate.
“And by so doing, they would enrich themselves through kidnapping, as that would give them more financial power to purchase weapons, which would be used against us to cause panic and then call them for negotiation. I don’t think that is a good strategy.”
Enraged Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, rtd, has said that he would take a legal action against whoever said he resigned from his position.
General Musa said this on Tuesday shortly after meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Recall that there were rumours suggesting that the former Chief of Defense Staff had resigned.
He had earlier denied the rumour in a statement through his media aide, Leah Katung-Babatunde.
“I was shocked when I heard and saw that. I don’t know where that came from. But expect that there’ll be people that will not be happy when things are going on well.
“Security situation has improved, things are getting better. And so for them, it’s a sad point, and they will always want to make it look as if it’s not so.
“I’m not going anywhere. I have never discussed that with anybody. I don’t even know the person who brought that information. But whoever he is, we will take a legal action against him when we get him to come and who gave him such information.
“But I assure Nigerians that we are free. You can see I just came back from briefing the President on the current security situation, and he’s very happy with us.
“And now we’re going to continue doing well, and I want to seize this opportunity to appreciate Nigerians for all the support. The support has been massive, and you can see the changes.
“That’s where we say that to defeat terrorists and bandits is a whole of societal approach. And now Nigerians are keying into it, and things are getting better, and they will continue to improve,” he said.
Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, retail outlets have increased the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol.
A market survey revealed on Tuesday indicated that the state-owned filling stations raised their petrol price to N1,270 per litre from N1,155 per litre in Abuja and environs.
This means that NNPCL has increased its fuel pump price by N115 per litre.
NNPCL and MRS filling stations in Abuja had closed, while other retail outlets raised their petrol prices on Monday amid heightened uncertainty in the country’s downstream oil sector.
In less than a week, depot owners and marketers have already increased their petrol prices twice.
Recall that last week, Dangote Refinery resumed the sale of refined petroleum products in dollars.
Daily Post
Ganduje to Kwankwaso: Negotiating with bandits’ll enrich them, not good strategy
Angry Defence Minister, Musa threatens to sue whoever said he resigned
NNPCL jerks up fuel price by N115 per liter
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