Glasgow helicopter crash: remaining fatalities named
Scottish police name the final four fatalities in the Glasgow helicopter crash as the hunt through the wreckage of the Clutha Vaults pub concludes.
The remaining victims of the crash, out of a total of nine killed in the incident, were identified as Robert Jenkins, 61, Mark O’Prey, 44, 33-year-old Colin Gibson and 57-year-old John McGarrigle.
Our thoughts first and foremost are with the families and friends of all those who have died. Rose Fitzpatrick
Eleven people remain in hospital with their injuries.
Search over
Confirmation of the names for all those who died in the crash came after officials revealed that the “search and recovery” operation at the Clutha Vaults had finished.
The site will be subject to an ongoing police investigation, but management of the incident has now been handed over to Glasgow City Council.
Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Rose Fitzpatrick said: “All nine names of those who died in the tragic incident last Friday in Glasgow have now been confirmed.
“Our thoughts first and foremost are with the families and friends of all those who have died. As our investigation continues we will of course go on providing support to the families involved.
“This has been a difficult and complex operation which has involved painstaking work and the skills of specialist personnel from across the emergency services. I would like to thank all those involved for their professionalism and respect with which they conducted this operation.
Every Glaswegian is immensely grateful for the work the emergency services have done for us since Friday night. George Black
“I would also like to thank all those who have passed on their messages of sympathy and support. This continues to be of great comfort.
“The management of the incident has now been handed over to Glasgow City Council. The Police Scotland investigation, led by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), and the inquiry by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) both continue.”
Pride
Yesterday, the wreckage of the three-tonne Eurocopter helicopter was removed from the pub. Air accident investigators have said the helicopter made a vertical descent on to the pub, and that no mayday call was issued by the pilot.
Glasgow City Council Chief Executive George Black said: “Every Glaswegian is immensely grateful for the work the emergency services have done for us since Friday night.
“And every Glaswegian is immensely proud of their fellow citizens who ran towards trouble when they were needed.
“While the initial response to this incident has now come to an end, we still have work to do – in supporting those who are grieving or traumatised; in supporting businesses whose work has been disrupted; and, while for many people the city will never truly be the same, in helping Glasgow to return to something like normality.”
On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is expected to visit Glasgow to meet some of the people affected by the crash, and the emergency services who took part in the rescue operation.
‘Joke’
Meanwhile, Apprentice contestant and Sun columnist Katie Hopkins has been forced to apologise following a vigorous backlash to a “joke” she tweeted on Saturday, hours after the crash.
Ms Hopkins tweeted:
Life expectancy in Scotland based 07/ 08 birth is 59.5. Goodness me. That lot will do anything to avoid working until retirement.
— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) November 30, 2013
Whilst initially acting defiantly over the accusations of insensitivity laid against her, Ms Hopkins tweeted her apology on Monday:
My tweet on Scotland was directly related to this article: https://t.co/yijMFVbJp7. I aologise to those I offended. It was poor timing.
— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) December 2, 2013