Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others perished when the
aircraft crashed outside the King Power Stadium
Leicester City owner and chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha
has been confirmed among the dead in Saturday night's helicopter crash tragedy
at the King Power Stadium.
Emergency services rushed to the stadium after the 1-1 draw
with West Ham and the Premier League club have now confirmed that five people
died when the helicopter lost control during take-off.
A club statement read: "It is with the deepest regret
and a collective broken heart that we confirm our Chairman, Vichai
Srivaddhanaprabha, was among those to have tragically lost their lives on
Saturday evening when a helicopter carrying him and four other people crashed
outside King Power Stadium. None of the five people on-board survived.
"The primary thoughts of everyone at the club are with
the Srivaddhanaprabha family and the families of all those on-board at this
time of unspeakable loss.
"In Khun Vichai, the world has lost a great man. A man
of kindness, of generosity and a man whose life was defined by the love he
devoted to his family and those he so successfully led. Leicester City was a
family under his leadership. It is as a family that we will grieve his passing
and maintain the pursuit of a vision for the club that is now his legacy.
"A book of condolence, which will be shared with the
Srivaddhanaprabha family, will be opened at King Power Stadium from 8am on
Tuesday 30 October for supporters wishing to pay their respects.
"Supporters unable to visit King Power Stadium that
wish to leave a message can do so through an online book of condolence, which
will be made available via lcfc.com in due course.
"Both Tuesday’s first-team fixture against Southampton
in the EFL Cup and the development squad fixture against Feyenoord in the
Premier League International Cup have been postponed.
"Everyone at the club has been truly touched by the
remarkable response of the football family, whose thoughtful messages of
support and solidarity have been deeply appreciated at this difficult
time."
Leicestershire Police have released a statement, which read:
“The five people were on board the helicopter when the incident happened. While
formal identification has not yet taken place, they are believed to be
Leicester City Football Club chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, two members of
his staff, Nursara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, pilot Eric Swaffer and passenger
Izabela Roza Lechowicz.
“The force has been working to ensure that all the relevant
next of kin had been informed prior to this information being confirmed
publicly.”
Superintendent Steve Potter said: “This is an incredibly
tragic incident in which five people are understood have lost their lives.
“Emergency services were immediately on scene when the crash
happened, working to put out the fire and gain access to the helicopter in
attempts to reach those inside. Despite those efforts, there were no survivors.
“The AAIB is now leading an investigation to establish the exact
circumstances surrounding the crash and investigators will remain at the scene
to complete their initial enquiries. It is likely to take several days to fully
complete the necessary work and to safely deal with the scene of this tragic
accident, during that time we ask that both the media and public resist
speculating around the cause of the crash.
“We appreciate that both the public and media were keen to
be updated on the circumstances and to confirm if those on board the helicopter
had survived, but before any detail could be issued publicly, it was vital that
all immediate next of kin were informed of the tragic outcome. As our
communities will understand, this was a matter that needed to be handled
sensitively and with dignity, with the families of the deceased being at the
heart of our response, which involved other agencies.
“Our thoughts today are with the families of those who have
sadly died, with Leicester City Football Club, and with both football
supporters and the wider local community who have all been impacted by the
events of last night and the news that those on board the aircraft have not
survived.”
The Thai businessman has owned the club since 2010 and is
hugely popular among supporters, and their fairytale Premier League title success
in 2015-16 will be remembered as his greatest achievement and legacy.
On Sunday, thousands of fans descended on a sombre stadium
to lay tributes to those who died in the crash before any official confirmation
from the club or emergency services had been announced.
Leicester City tribute
"The engine stopped and I turned round and it made a
bit of a whirring noise, like a grinding noise," freelance photographer
Ryan Brown told BBC Radio Leicester.
"The helicopter just went silent, I turned round and it
was just spinning, out of control. And then there was a big bang and then [a]
big fireball."
Srivaddhanaprabha was married with four children. Leicester
City's vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, who is Vichai's son, was not
at the game. It is unknown who will take control of the club following Vichai's
tragic death.
