At least six people have died and 32 have been injured after a police helicopter crashed into a pub in Glasgow, Sky sources say.Police and firefighters working to try to rescue people from the wreckage of a pub hit by a helicopter say they have made contact with survivors inside.
The police aircraft came down on the Clutha Vaults pub in Glasgow, which was packed with more than 100 people at the time who were listening to a band.
Sky News sources have confirmed there have been fatalities and earlier Scotland's First Minister told people to prepare for the worst.
Grace MacLean, who had been inside the pub when the helicopter struck, told Sky News: "Someone started shouting and the band cut the music ... and then all of a sudden this cloud of dust came.
"You couldn't breathe for inhaling a mouthful of dust. You couldn't see anything. You were clawing at the walls to see where the exit is."
Police said that 32 people, with "multiple types of injury" had so far been taken to hospitals across the city - Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the Western Infirmary - following the crash at 10.25pm on Friday.
The Police have given no details of what has happened to the crew of two officers and a civilian pilot on board the helicopter.
Firefighters said they had made contact with people trapped inside the Clutha bar but said it was difficult to tell how many were inside because the building was "very unsafe".
Assistant Chief Officer Lewis Ramsay said: "We've had some contact and we're working away just now to make sure that the building is safe in order to get people out.
"We are determined that we are going to get the building stable and we will be in there to carry out those rescues."
There are 125 firefighters working at the scene and rescue services have brought in sniffer dogs to help find those still inside.
Those who helped at the scene told how they worked to form human chain to carry unconscious people out of the pub. Among them was Labour's international development spokesman Jim Murphy, who told Sky News: "I just saw dozens and dozens of people coming out of the pub. It is a horrible, horrible scene."
It is still unclear what caused the crash, with one eye witness saying the aircraft "dropped like a stone" and police have now launched a full investigation into the crash under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
Investigators from the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) were on the scene on Saturday morning trying to piece together what had happened.
Deputy Chief Constable Rose Fitzpatrick said: "Our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by this incident and we are continuing work with our colleagues in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Scottish Ambulance Service to recover people from the scene.
"A full investigation is now underway however at this early stage it is too early to provide details on why the helicopter came down. There were three people on board the helicopter - two police officers and a civilian pilot and on a busy Friday night, there were a number of customers in the bar.
"We are working hard to recover people still inside the building and we will make further details available when we have them."
The helicopter, a EC135 T2, which is widely used in the police force, has a good safety record with one incident in 2007 after which the AAIB asked manufacturers Eurocopter to look at a stability system switch.
First Minister Alex Salmond said that given the scale of the Glasgow helicopter crash, "we must all prepare ourselves for the likelihood of fatalities".
Gordon Smart, editor of the Sun's Scottish edition, saw the crash from a multi-storey car park nearby.
He told Sky News: "I thought it was a plane that was going to crash. I looked up at the sky and I could see the helicopter falling, tumbling ... and then there was an eerie silence for the last part of the fall.
"But the thing that was disturbing and shocking was there was no explosion. I couldn't understand why a helicopter would fall from that height and not explode. To see the angle, the speed and the trajectory of the fall ... it was a horrific sight."
Members of Esperanza, the band playing at the time, all escaped from the wreckage unharmed. They posted on their Facebook site: "Best wishes to everyone from tonight...Hope everyone who got out managed to get home or somewhere safe to stay. To everyone who was injured...please get fixed soon. And please please please let us know of the people who we haven't heard from yet...hope they're found ok."
Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: "My thoughts are with everyone affected by the helicopter crash in Glasgow - and the emergency services working tonight."
Glasgow Central Mosque, located close to the pub on the opposite side of the Clyde, tweeted: "Have told emergency crew that we r on standby & can make available mosque & volunteers to assist in any way to aid injured & emergency crew."
A full probe involving the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) and the emergency services is under way.
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