Pilot dies after helicopter crashes into roof of hotel in Australia

SYDNEY: The pilot of a helicopter that crashed into the roof of a hotel in Australia's Far North Queensland early Monday morning has died while two other people were injured in the incident, local media reported.

The pilot was a man in his 40s, the Sydney Morning Herald reported, adding that an 83-year-old man and a 76-year-old woman were taken to hospital in a stable condition.

Police have declared an emergency around the DoubleTree by Hilton on Cairns Esplanade and evacuated up to 400 people after the crash, according to the Australian ABC News broadcaster.

The Cairns Post reported earlier that there were grave concerns about the male pilot, who was assessed at the scene and was reported to have sustained life-threatening injuries.

According to the report, a man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s who were staying in a hotel room near the crash site suffered from smoke inhalation. They were treated for their injuries and taken to Cairns Hospital for further medical attention.