Stolen helicopter crashes into tourist hotel in Australia

A stolen helicopter smashed into the roof of a luxury hotel in Queensland, Australia, killing the pilot and forcing the emergency evacuation of hundreds of guests.

Police said that the Robinson R44 four-seat helicopter was on an “unauthorised” flight when it hit the DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton on the waterfront of the tropical city of Cairns, 1,000 miles north of Brisbane.

The pilot, who has yet to be identified, was declared dead at the scene; no one else was on board. The helicopter hit the roof of the hotel at 1.50am, triggering a fire. Two hotel guests, a man in his eighties and a woman in her seventies, were taken to hospital but later discharged.

Witnesses said the noise of the crash sounded like a