Wednesday, January 16, 2013

80. HELICÓPTERO CAI JUNTO AO PEQUENO PORTUGAL EM LONDRES

FOLHINHA STOCKWELL 80

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-21040410
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-21040410

UM HELICÓPTERO EMBATE NA GRUA DE UMA TORRE EM CONTRUÇÃO NO CAIS DE SÃO JORGE E DESPENHA-SE NA VIA PÚBLICA. LAMENTAM-SE DUAS VÍTIMAS MORTAIS, INCLUINDO O PILOTO E UMA PESSOA EM TERRA. OUTRAS PESSOAS SOFRERAM FERIMENTOS.  DESCONHECE-SE A ORIGEM DO TRISTE ACIDENTE, MAS TUDO LEVA  A CRER QUE A MÁ VISIBILIDADE DO CÉU LONDRINO ESTA MANHÃ TENHA SIDO A CAUSA. ESTA TORRE É DE FATO MUITO ALTA, ALGUNS 50 ANDARES E FAZ PARTE DO MEGA PROJETO URBANÍSTICO DE NINE ELMS EM FASE EMBRIONÁRIA.

OBVIAMENTE QUE O ACIDENTE ÀS 8 DA MATINA, HORA DE PONTA, CAUSOU UM CAOS ENORME NA CIRCULAÇÃO,  A ESTAÇÃO DE METRO E DE COMBOIO DE VAUXHALL FORAM  IMEDIATAMENTE FECHADAS. ESTA ZONA, TAMBÉM CONHECIDA POR VAUXHALL CROSS, CRUZAMENTO DE VAUXHALL TEM MUITA CIRCULAÇÃO, POIS FICA NO INÍCIO DA VAUXHALL BRIDGE, DA QUAL PODERÁ PARTIR PARA  VICTORIA STATION, PARA  O EDIFÍCIO DO PARLAMENTO, E É SEM DÚVIDA UMA DAS MELHORES LIGAÇÕES DO SUL  LONDRINO COM O CENTRO.


ESTA ÁREA CHAMADA VAUXHALL, MAIS CONHECIDA POR NÓS POR TER O RESTAURANTE   O MADEIRA E O PICO, DO GRUPO MADEIRA SEGUNDO APUROU A FOLHINHA. CURIOSAMENTE, ESTA CADEIA DOS RESTAURANTES MADEIRA  É DAS MAIS REFINADAS, SENDO OS PREÇOS IGUAIS AOS OUTROS RESTAURANTE MAIS POPULARES. ELES TÊM GOSTO NAQUILO QUE FAZEM.  

SITUAM-SE NAS ARCADAS DA LINHA DO COMBOIO, BEM ISOLADAS AO NÍVEL DO SOM, MAS NÃO DEIXARÁ DE OUVIR, POUCA TERRA, POUCA TERRA, EM SOM DE FUNDO, AGRADÁVEL. PARECE QUE ESTÁ A VIVER UM MOMENTO HISTÓRICO, CARACTERÍSTICO DA PAISAGEM LONDRINA. MESMO EM FRENTE TEM A PONTE VAUXHALL BRIDGE E PODERÁ CAMINHAR DAÍ, PASSAR PELO LONDON EYE E IR ATÉ AO GLOBO DO SHAKESPEARE,  JUNTO À FAMOSA TATE MODERN E MILLENIUM BRIDGE. NÃO SE META PARA AÍ HOJE, PORQUE ESTÁ TUDO FECHADO PARA AVERIGUAÇÕES FORENSES.

DE VAUXHALL PARTE TAMBÉM A FAMOSA SOUTH LAMBETH ROAD, A QUAL ATRAVESSA PRATICAMENTE TODO O PEQUENO PORTUGAL, PASSANDO POR UM DOS MAIS CONHECIDOS RESTAURANTES PORTUGUESES, O PORTUGAL E A PATISSERIE PORTUGAL. LOGO A SEGUIR ESTÁ O FAMOSO CAFÉ ESTRELA ONDE SE JUNTA A COMUNIDADE PORTUGUESA PARA VER PORTUGAL NA TELEVISÃO   NOS CAMPEONATOS INTERNACIONAIS. ESTE FICA A DOIS PASSOS DO PORTUGAL MESMO EM FRENTE À BIBLIOTECA TATE, A QUAL TEM MUITOS LIVROS PORTUGUESES. 

DESTA BIBLIOTECA EM SOUTH LAMBETH ROAD PARTE A WILCOX ROAD ONDE EXISTE UMA GRANDE CONCENTRAÇÃO DE NEGÓCIOS PORTUGUESES:

O CAFÉ SCORPION, 
O SUPERMERCADO CINCO QUINAS,
 UM  SALÃO DE  HAIR STYLIST, 
 UMA IMPRIMERIA E RECLAMES, 
CASTRO CATERING ONDE COZINHAM REFEIÇÕES  CERTAMENTE  PARA SEREM SERVIDAS EM CANTINAS E REFEITÓRIOS POR LONDRES FORA,
O CAFÉ DELICATESSEN ALMA LUSA, 
A OURIVESARIA PORTUGAL
UMA LOJA PARA ENVIAR DINHEIRO PARA TODA A PARTE DO MUNDO,
 UMA EMPRESA DE LIMPEZA E CONSTRUÇÃO, 
UMA LOJA DE ACONSELHAMENTO EM SUBSÍDIOS SOCIAIS E ASSUNTOS AFINS, 
UMA CRECHE, 
TASTES OF PORTUGAL ESPECIALIZADA EM PRODUTOS DE QUALIDADE, TAIS COMO, PEIXE CONGELADO,   BACALHAU, QUEIJO, PRESUNTO, PÃO, BROA, CHOURIÇOS, PAIO, BOLOS E AINDA PODERÁ TOMAR UM CAFEZINHO COM UM PASTEL DE BELÉM, E BATER PAPO COM OS AMIGOS. O ATENDIMENTO É FAMILIAR E  DE QUALIDADE EXCELENTE.
UM CENTRO MÉDICO COM UMA INTÉRPRETE EM PORTUGUÊS, FRANÇÊS, ESPANHOL E SEI LÁ QUE MAIS.
ESPERA-SE EM BREVE A ABERTURA DE MAIS UM CAFÉ, 

QUANDO OUVIR ALGUM AUTOGIRO A ZUMBIR NO AR, NÃO TENHA VERGONHA DE OLHAR PARA O AR, E MANTENHA-SE CAUTELOSA NÃO LHE CAIA A AERONAVE EM CIMA. 

A FOLHINHA SENTE MUITA TRISTEZA, LAMENTA A PERDA DE VIDAS HUMANAS E TAMBÉM POR O ACIDENTE TER ACONTECIDO AQUI MESMO A UNS 300 METROS DOS NEGÓCIOS PORTUGUESES DA WILCOX ROAD.

PS. Hoje dia 17 de Jan 2013, um dia depois do triste desastre de helicóptero em Vauxhall, o céu londrino estava radioso, azul, soalheiro, mas as núvens já estão a passar e a enevoar o firmamento. Sol de pouca dura, e o frio a entrar pelos ossos dentro. A circulação está caótica nessa zona, ainda está tudo bloqueado para averiguações forenses. O trânsito ainda está a ser desviado para outros eixos viários. Tem de ser tudo bem passado a pente fino, visto ao "miscroscópio",  porque ainda não há certezas absolutas sobre a origem do acidente. Como é possível o helicóptero andar por ali a voar àquela altitude, quanto o piloto tem lá um altímetro nos intrumentos de bordo. 

Bem, aquela torre apareceu ali de um dia para o outro. A técnica de contrução evoluiu muito. Os tipos montam aquilo num ápice, embora não seja fácil com esta torre porque ela é redonda. Ter-se-ia enganado sobre o local on ia pousar o aparelho. Sabemos que ia aterrar no heliporto de Battersea mesmo ali a dois passos, ao lado do famoso asilo canino de Londres  (pode lá ir adoptar um cachorrinho). De facto a torre é altíssima, mas na televisão parece  que  o helicóptero bateu no meio da grua, mais ou menos aos meio da altura do prédio e não no topo. 

Segundo testemunhas oculares, o engenho voador teria mesmo embatido no topo da grua, derrubando essa parte, mas ficando ainda presa e a balançar mais abaixo. Nem sempre as coisas são como parecem, e, por isso mesmo, a polícia científica ainda por lá anda hoje dia 18 a tentar reunir as peças do puzzle. Noticia-se agora que o piloto era muito hábil e até tinha participado em filmes do James Bond, Mr. Bond. 

Este postscript é apenas para mencionar o facto de hoje, em vez de um helicóptero como é costume, andava uma avioneta às voltas mais ou menos pelo mesmo espaço aéreo. Anda sempre por ali aguma coisa a voar por cima. Eles e elas lá sabem porquê.  Não quiseram ferir a sensibilidade da população com outro helicóptero a esvoaçar por ali. Os tipos respeitaram o sentimento  público, nisto não há dúvida. Eles são assim, muito respeitadores, diplomáticos e sensíveis. Vai ser assim durante algum tempo. Mas pensamos que seria mais difícil às pessoas no solo fugir de uma avioneta do que de um helicóptero. Neste acidente, houve quem escapasse por terem dar às vila-diogo dali para fora.

18 DE JANEIRO DE 2013. ASSALTARAM A CASA DA IRMÃ DA VÍTIMA PEDESTRE DO ACIDENTE DE HELICÓPTERO, ENQUANTO ELA ESTAVA COM A FAMÍLIA A VELAR O IRMÃO.  IMAGINEM A MONSTRUOSIDADE DA AÇÃO. SEM MAIS COMENTÁRIOS.


London helicopter crash: Matthew Wood's sister's home burgled

Matthew WoodMatthew Wood was walking to work in Vauxhall when the helicopter crash happened
The sister of a man killed when a helicopter crashed to the ground in central London had her home burgled while the family gathered to mourn.
Amanda Wood, sister of Matthew Wood, who died, said: "It's horrible. It has been the worst week of my life."
Mr Wood, 39, from Sutton, was walking to work when the helicopter crashed into a crane in Vauxhall on Wednesday.
Police were called to reports of a burglary at Ms Wood's house in Carshalton, Surrey, on Thursday night.
'Jewellery gone'
No arrests have been made.
Ms Wood said she had been at her brother Darren's house "so the family could all be in one place to give each other support" when she was told about the burglary.
"Our neighbour phoned to say 'I'm at yours with the police. You've been broken into.'
"It's absolutely gutting," she said.
She said having to deal with a "death under those circumstances... then the night after having to deal with this [burglary], it's awful".
"They'd kicked in the bottom panel of the back door. The drawers were pulled out and bits of jewellery were gone."
Ms Wood has said her brother was a "big guy with a big heart" who doted on his nephew.






London helicopter crash: Two die in Vauxhall crane accident

Eyewitness Andrew Beadle: "I thought it was a bomb" (Footage Jason/Complete Couriers and Jose Gomez)

Related Stories

Two people have been killed and nine injured when a helicopter crashed into a crane in central London in misty conditions.
Police said it appeared the helicopter had hit the crane on top of The Tower, One St George Wharf at about 08:00 GMT.
About 90 firefighters are at the scene near Wandsworth Road in South Lambeth. Doctors said one of the dead was the pilot and the other was on the ground.
A man was rescued from a burning car by firefighters.
Burning wreckage lay in the road but the fire was brought under control within 25 minutes, the fire brigade said.
'Enormous bang'
Six people were taken to hospital, one with a broken leg and the others with minor injuries. Seven people were treated at the scene.
Part of the crane was left hanging from the side of the building.
Police said it was understood the helicopter was on a scheduled flight from Redhill in Surrey to Elstree in Hertfordshire.
A spokesman for London Heliport at Battersea said the pilot had requested to divert and land there due to bad weather.

The incident caused gridlock with all approaches to the Vauxhall Cross one way system closed at the height of the rush hour and Vauxhall Tube station and railway station closed, though the stations have since reopened.
London Fire Brigade said more than 50 other firefighters were at St George's Wharf to secure the damaged crane.
Met Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said: "We believe there are 11 casualties, two fatalities and nine less seriously injured but one is critically ill. People are presenting themselves to different places."

At the scene

Vauxhall bus station is always busy. It's a hub where people can connect with the Underground and rail services. Helicopters flying along the river are a common sight.
This morning the rush hour was confused as well as crowded. In the aftermath of the crash, bus and other traffic had been held back on the Wandsworth Road.
It wasn't long before there were tailbacks. The journey wasn't any easier on foot. Pedestrians were directed away from the main road and pavements running along the Nine Elms Sainsbury's supermarket and on to side streets.
By the time I arrived at Vauxhall bus station the police were starting to tape off many of the approach roads as well. You could still smell the smoke and it was difficult to see the top of the tower and the damaged crane.
Commuters mingled with large groups of construction workers - the crowd took time to move despite the efforts of police community support officers and bus station staff.
Met Commander Neil Basu told BBC News it was "miraculous" the crash was not much worse.
The BBC weather centre said weather observations at the time of the crash showed very low cloud but not thick fog. The nearest observation site was London City Airport which at 08:00 reported 700m visibility with broken cloud at a height of 100ft.
Fire brigade station manager Bruce Grain said crews arrived at the scene in four minutes.
He said the helicopter fell into Wandsworth Road hitting various vehicles and bursting into flames and there were also fires in nearby buildings.
NATS, which runs air traffic control across the UK, said the helicopter pilot had been receiving assistance earlier in the journey but not at the time of the crash.
The incident will be subject to an investigation by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
An RNLI lifeboat was initially sent to search the Thames near the crash scene following a request from London Heliport after it lost contact with the aircraft, which is understood to be an AgustaWestland AW109, a lightweight, twin-engine helicopter with eight seats.
Video footage shot on a mobile phone showed an entire road blocked by burning wreckage and aviation fuel.
The side of a building on one side of the street also caught fire.
Passers-by stood watching as the wreckage burned. A motorcycle was also lying on its side in the road where it was abandoned.
A burnt out car at the crash sceneThe wreckage of the helicopter landed in the road, setting cars alight
Mark Osbourne, from Metropolis Motorcycles, a bike shop near the scene, said he ran to try to help the injured.
"There was lots of wreckage and fire," he said.
"I saw a woman on a motorcycle that must have missed the carnage by six feet.
"It felt like a war movie, it was surreal."
'People screaming'
Craig Dunne, who was walking to work at the time of the accident, said: "When I got to the end of the road there was a massive explosion and the crane is obviously in pieces.
"And I looked to the left-hand side and there were cars - three cars on fire - people screaming, shouting and hollering, and the next thing I know there are police, ambulances and everything everywhere and people going crazy. It's madness - absolute madness."
Mark Correll was cycling along Wandsworth Road when debris from the crash started falling around him.
A section of the crane in Nine Elms LanePart of the crane fell to the ground after the crash
"I heard a massive explosion and looked up to see debris falling everywhere from the sky," he said.
"I didn't hang around as there was massive debris falling intermittently and if anything had hit me I would have been killed.
"My first instinct was to dodge the debris - I thought the building was going to collapse.
"It was easily the most frightening thing I have ever witnessed."
Ex-BBC producer Paul Ferguson said the helicopter "plummeted straight into the ground".
Met Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe: "We believe the helicopter was diverting to Battersea"
He said the building the helicopter hit was "shrouded in mist".
Market worker Andrew Ross said: "I heard a loud bang and I saw this helicopter falling out of the sky.
"(There was) an orange glow and lots of smoke coming up.
"It was flying below cloud cover - it was still foggy and a little bit dark."
Michael Gavin, who was waiting for a train on a platform at Vauxhall station, said: "I heard the bang - the top of the crane was obscured by the fog so I did not see the impact but I did see the helicopter falling to the ground along with pieces of the crane, then the long plume of smoke from there.
"It was really quite shocking. There was a group of us on the platform waiting, we could not see where it hit because it was blocked by a wall at the end of the station.
"There were a lot of worried people around."
Nicky Morgan, MP for Loughborough, heard an "enormous bang" as she walked towards Vauxhall Tube before seeing "clouds of black smoke".
Quinn Murray, who was cycling when he saw the crash, said: "I saw the helicopter hit the top of the crane and come down just to the left of the station.
"There was quite a large amount of fire and a huge smoke cloud. It wasn't on the road, but into a building site where they are building the new Nine Elms area."

CLICKABLE
Erin Rogers, who was waiting at a bus stop outside Vauxhall station, said: "It was a bit surreal actually. I just had a coffee in my hand, I looked up, heard a bang and saw bits of crane debris falling to the floor.
"Then the helicopter was in flames. The rest of the people at the bus station were looking on going 'What was that?'.
"It's something I will never forget for a long time."
Kate Hoey, Labour MP for Vauxhall, said : "My initial thought was that it might have hit one of the many densely populated tall buildings. To hear it had hit the crane was a relief in some way.
"Police said to me that their first fear was it was the police helicopter, however, it had been grounded because of the weather."
She told the BBC the rapid increase in the number of tall buildings in London meant more rigorous controls over who can fly where may be needed.
She said there was no reason why there should not be a debate about why so many helicopters are allowed to fly over central London.
The Met told the BBC there was no suggestion the incident was linked to terrorism.
Are you in Vauxhall? Did you see the crash? Please send through your experiences, and any pictures and videos you may have captured
Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.





No comments: