Fear has erupted in New York after a helicopter crashed into a skyscraper in midtown Manhattan, killing the pilot. The aircraft crashed onto the building's roof. The helicopter caught fire while landing, starting a fire. Firefighters responded immediately. Governor Andrew Cuomo has clarified that the incident was not terrorism-related. The crash occurred not far from Times Square, on a 54-story tower located on 7th Avenue, between 51st and 52nd Streets, which houses the U.S. headquarters of the BNP Paribas bank. Cuomo also stated that the impact of the helicopter upon landing shook the entire skyscraper, but he also clarified that no one inside the building was injured. People inside the skyscraper said they "felt the tower shaking," the governor said, as confirmed by Nathan Hutton, who works in the building on the 29th floor. "We felt the building shaking," he said, "we thought it was an earthquake or something, then two minutes later, the alarms went off and security arrived. Everyone grabbed their bags and ran out the door." Emergency vehicles were deployed massively at the foot of the skyscraper and surrounding buildings. The neighborhood, the scene of the plane crash, was temporarily evacuated. Firefighters provided real-time updates on what they initially described on Twitter as a "hard landing." An emergency landing hasn't been ruled out, which, given the challenging conditions encountered when flying high above skyscrapers, could have proved particularly problematic. US President Donald Trump tweeted that he had been informed of the situation: "Thanks to those responding. The Trump administration is ready if anything is needed."
The helicopter was in the air for only 11 minutes before it crashed into a Manhattan skyscraper, New York Police Chief James O'Neil said. "At approximately 13.32:34 p.m. this afternoon, the helicopter took off from the 11th Street heliport and approximately XNUMX minutes later it crashed across the street," O'Neil told reporters at the crash site. Several agencies, including the FBI, are working to determine the cause of the crash, "getting information about the pilot, the flight path and the owner" of the helicopter. Police have already made a preliminary identification of the pilot, but, O'Neil added, "we are waiting for confirmation and to contact the family."
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