Witness recounts horrifying moments of deadly New York helicopter crash

China

Witness recounts horrifying moments of deadly New York helicopter crash

2025-04-11 15:25 Last Updated At：23:57

A witness who saw a horrifying helicopter crash in New York City on Thursday which killed all six people on board has shared her harrowing experience of watching the incident unfold.

The helicopter crashed into the Hudson River around Pier 40 in Manhattan on Thursday afternoon. Among the victims who lost their lives were one pilot along with a family of two adults and three children. Four people were announced dead at the scene while another two didn't survive after being taken to hospital.

It has been reported that the five passengers were tourists from Spain who were on a sightseeing trip to the city.

In an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN), witness Belle Angel recounted the shocking incident in detail as it unfolded at around 15:15 local time.

"I noticed that [there was] a helicopter, the propeller just exploded in the air. There were other people on the boardwalk and we were like, first we were shocked, we were like, 'did you see that, is that real?' We were like questioning ourselves: 'did that just happen?' Because as soon as the propeller exploded, the helicopter lost control and it was waving back and forth, it was like a sway," she said.

"It just kept going, and then it crashed into the water. We screamed because we were like, this just didn't happen. You are just like in disbelief, like, no, we didn't see this. You just can't believe that it just happened like that," she added.

Angel said there appeared to be a slow initial response at the scene, with even the police seemingly unprepared for the situation and failing to coordinate an immediate rescue effort.

"We were questioning each other like what do we do? Do we call 911? I'm like, what do we do, because people could be on that plane (helicopter) that just crashed. There is no help, it's just there. And I noticed that for the first 10 minutes nobody knew what to do, so I kept walking. I saw a police officer and they were like, 'OK, we're with Hoboken [Police Department], we're taking care of it'. But my point is, I know when my train left at 3:30 p.m., there was no help. There was nobody there. There was nobody in the water. The helicopter just crashed and there were no activities after that. And to me that was scary," she said.

Angel also described the sense of shock among other bystanders, with many left stunned by what they had just witnessed.

"People were crying, we were hugging each other like, oh my god, this just happened, this is real. We were in disbelief, we were just like, we wanted to help, but we didn't know how to help because this doesn't happen every day," she said.

The chopper, a Bell 206, a model widely used in commercial and government aviation, is said to have split in two before it went down, according to local media reports.

The incident is the deadliest helicopter crash in the New York City area since 2018.

China, Lesotho to strengthen exchanges, advance cooperation

Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday China is willing to work with Lesotho to strengthen exchanges on governance experience, enhance coordination in multilateral affairs, and advance the China-Lesotho strategic partnership.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with Lesotho Prime Minister Sam Matekane in the capital of Lesotho.

During the meeting, Wang congratulated Lesotho on the 60th anniversary of its independence this year, and spoke highly of Lesotho government's efforts to prioritize economic development and steer the African country onto a path of sustainable growth. Since the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2024, the two sides have advanced cooperation under the 10 partnership action plans unveiled at the summit, successfully implementing a number of key projects to effectively promote Lesotho's development and revitalization, Wang said.

China stands ready to work with Lesotho to strengthen exchanges on governance experience, enhance coordination in multilateral affairs, and push for greater development of the China-Lesotho strategic partnership, he added.

Calling on the two sides to firmly support each other, Wang said that China will accelerate the implementation of its zero-tariff policy for African countries, including Lesotho, expand bilateral trade, investment and industrial cooperation, facilitate broader access of Lesotho's specialty products to the Chinese market, and continue to support Lesotho's national development.

China will continue to stand firmly with African countries, uphold justice for the Global South, including Lesotho, oppose unilateralism and acts of bullying, and work together to build a community with a shared future for humanity, Wang said.

On his part, Matekane said during the meeting that Lesotho cherishes its friendship with China and the strategic partnership between the two countries, and expressed gratitude for China's valuable support for the development of African countries, including Lesotho.

Lesotho firmly adheres to the one-China principle and resolutely supports China in safeguarding its core interests, he said, noting that his country stands ready to strengthen strategic mutual trust with China, expand people-to-people exchanges, jointly implement the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, and deepen cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, manufacturing and energy.

Matekane stressed that China's zero-tariff policy for African products will inject new impetus into Lesotho's development. He also expressed Lesotho's willingness to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with China on multilateral platforms such as BRICS to jointly address global challenges.

On the same day, Wang also held talks with Lejone Mpotjoana, minister of foreign affairs and international relations of Lesotho.