The pilot of a helicopter lost his life after the aircraft crashed on the roof of a building on Monday. Hilton Hotel in the northeastern Australian city of Cairnspolice reported.

The impact, for reasons still unknown, occurred around 1:50 local time (15:50 GMT on Sunday) and forced the evacuation of about 400 guests due to the fire caused by the accident.

“The pilot and sole occupant of the aircraft “He was located and declared deceased at the scene, and forensic investigations are underway to identify him,” said the statement from the Queensland State Police, where Cairns is located, sent to EFE.

Police have also declared the area around the Hilton hotel as an exclusion zone for investigations into the accident and subsequent fire, images of which were captured by witnesses and posted on social media. Queensland Ambulance Services reported on its X account that “there were no injuries among those on the ground.”

According to Australian public broadcaster ABC, two hotel guests, a couple in their 80s and 70s, were taken to a Cairns hospital where they are in a stable condition. One of the hotel guests, Alastair Salmon, told ABC that he woke up with “a colossal roar that deafened the ears.”

“Then we look up and We saw a huge hole in the window of the building“Salmon explained, while his roommate Harry Holberton added that when he went to collect his things he saw “debris all over the hotel.”