Getty Leicester owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha is feared to be dead after a helicopter crash.
Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha is feared to be dead. According to The Guardian, Srivaddhanaprabha is believed to be one of at least five people involved in a helicopter crash outside King Power Stadium.
Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha is believed to have been among at least five people on board the Agusta Westland AW169 helicopter that crashed outside the King Power Stadium. The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) are leading the investigation into the incident, with inquiries expected to continue in the “coming days”. Leicestershire police ask for patience over details of those involved and reiterate they are “working with a number of other agencies” to provide an update
The Independent is also reporting the Leicester City owner was part of the crash. Here’s how The Independent described the scene of the accident outside the stadium on Saturday evening.
A spokesman from Leicestershire Police said: “The aircraft came down in a car park near the stadium shortly after 8.30pm, with Leicestershire Police, East Midlands Ambulance Service and Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service all responding to the incident.”
East Midlands Ambulance Service said the alarm was raised at 8.38pm and it sent a doctor, ambulance and team of paramedics alongside a hazardous area response team to the car park outside the stadium.
The club’s owner is known for arriving and leaving the stadium in his helicopter at home games.
Here’s a look at some of the footage after the helicopter crash believed to involve Srivaddhanaprabha.
A helicopter has crashed outside Leicester City’s King Power Stadium.
Multiple reports say the helicopter belongs to Leicester owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha: t.co/lfa2KT24Uy
The soccer club has not issued an official statement on the status of their owner. Srivaddhanaprabha purchased Leicester City in 2010, and is a Thai billionaire who founded King Power International. Srivahhhanaprabha played a major part in turning a struggling club into the 2016 Premier League champion.
“They’ve been wonderful with the fans but they’ve been wonderful with the wider community,” Matt Davis, vice-chairman of the Foxes Trust fans’ group, told Yahoo Sports. “They are not your average businessman (and his family) that attend a handful of games a season, they are here every game and this that’s unfolding is just a total tragedy.”
According to ESPN, the helicopter took off from the center of the field more than an hour after the Leicester City-West Ham match. After clearing the stadium, the helicopter went down in flames. The owner has been known to take a helicopter to and from the soccer games. While Srivaddhanaprabha has not been confirmed to be dead, fans are fearing for the worst with multiple outlets reporting the owner was inside the helicopter.
“Emergency services are currently dealing with an incident at the King Power Stadium, in Leicester, after an aircraft came down in a car park behind the ground earlier this evening,” Leicester police said in a statement per ESPN. “Officers are working alongside the ambulance service, Leicester Fire and Rescue Service, the Air Accident Investigation Branch and Leicester City Football Club to establish the exact circumstances of the collision.”