Heartbroken fans break down in tears as they lay flowers at scene of Leicester helicopter crash

Leicester City's manager Claude Puel and assistant manager Jacques Bonnevay have also spoken of their heartache following the crash.

Leicester City owner Srivaddhanaprabha is reportedly among five people feared dead after his helicopter crashed in a ball of flames in the club's stadium car park last night.

The eight-seater helicopter had flown from the King Power Stadium pitch live on TV moments before the explosion.

Hundreds of fans have flocked to the stadium this morning to lay floral tributes following the horror helicopter crash.

Joe Birch, 24, a big fan of the team told The Sun Online: “I saw it from the telly last night, it was terrible."



He continued:“I have a season ticket, I am a fan of the team. It was devastating, especially not knowing what has happened. The crash was really bad, I hope there are survivors but I don’t think so."

Darren Lynas, 49, said: "We can’t thank him enough for what he did for the team and the city."
In an emotional fan tribute, Mark Bates, 34, said: "You’re kind of hoping to hear something positive, a miracle. He wasn’t like other owners, he grasped the culture – he was loved by everyone."


 

The tragedy is being described as the "darkest day" in the club's history, as small bouquets were left outside the ground by members of the public on Sunday morning alongside a large image of the Hindu god Ganesh which was also propped up in amidst the flowers.

Two friends, fans for many years came tearing up to leave flowers.

Andrew Stansall , 50 said: "I was in the game but I had left by the time it happened."


He continued: “I heard the helicopter take off because I live close by. It seems like the owner was inside. "He has done so much, not only for the team but for the city.  The whole town will be mourning, he will never be forgotten."

Manny Griffin, 50, said: "We are devastated. He was such a unique owner, really close to me fans.

"We would be talking about hope an hour after the crash, now I don’t know.

"All the fans will be mourning, I hope his legacy will continue. That would be great for him."


Jason Woodward, 48 also lives close said: "He is very popular and he’s done a lot for the city, he has spent millions. Not knowing it’s the hardest."

Lib Cortons, 74 said : "We are hoping for a miracle. I haven’t left any flowers just in case. I will when we have something confirmed.”

A small candle was placed in front of the flowers as more people gradually gathered to pray for anybody who may have been on the helicopter.

Messages from Leicester fans on the flowers included "In our thoughts!!" and "Thank you xx".


One fan left a card of a fox with their flowers which read: "Thinking of you all."

Team manager Claude Puel said this morning the crash is a "tragedy" and added he is "terribly sad".

He told Sports Radio France: "It's a tragedy for the club.

"I think very strongly about the victims and their families, and I wanted to reassure everyone who cares about me, I'm terribly sad but I'm fine."

And on twitter, assistant manager Jacques Bonnevay said: "Leicester en Pleurs", meaning "Leicester in tears", alongside a series of emojis, including a helicopter and a crying face.

The helicopter took off at around 8.45pm and nosedived in a ball of flames less than 200 yards away just seconds later.

Eye-witnesses said the AW169 helicopter spiralled out of control in the air with an apparent problem with the tail fin.

A source close to the family told the BBC he was in his helicopter when it crashed.


However an official statement has yet to be made.

Images taken at the scene show the helicopter engulfed in flames as fans leaving the ground watched on in horror.

Supporters were forced to run for their lives from debris falling to the ground as the helicopter crashed.


The chairman's son Aiyawatt, who is the club’s vice-chairman, and director of football Jon Rudkin were not on board, according to sources.

Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel was seen in tears outside the stadium as fire crews doused the flames.

The wife of England and Leicester City legend Peter Shilton was among the eye-witnesses who saw the horror unfold.

Stephanie Shilton, 50, said: "It happened straight in front of us as we were leaving the ground. It's horrendous."


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Srivaddhanaprabha is well-known for leaving the stadium by his helicopter, which lands in the centre circle on the pitch, after every Leicester home game.

BT Sport pundit Jake Humphrey pointed to the aircraft from the studio during a live broadcast at the stadium and said: “As you can see the owners are now heading off.”

A loud explosion could be heard on post-match analysis show Premier League tonightjust moments later.

The crash was then confirmed by the host live on air and the programme brought to an early end as the crew was evacuated from the stadium.

Leicester had just played West Ham in a 1-1 draw in the Premier League. The 5.30pm kick-off finished at around 7.30pm.

Thai billionaire Srivaddhanaprabha is the founder of King Power Duty Free and is worth around £2bn.

He bought Leicester City Football Club in August 2010 and invested millions into the club.

The club won promotion to the Premier League under his ownership in 2014 and then, incredibly won the Premier League title in 2016. The achievement is seen as one of the greatest in footballing history.

Police say the air accident watchdog has launched an investigation into why the aircraft fell to the ground in a parking lot near King Power stadium.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch has been deployed to the site and is looking into the circumstances of the crash.



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