Social media charts crash aftermath

The reporting of the fatal helicopter crash in central London showed how much the media has changed in recent years.

In a clear case of citizen journalism, news of the accident began breaking on social media websites, and within minutes users had begun posting tweets, pictures and video.

The hashtags #helicopter and #vauxhall began trending as users began using the web to report witness accounts and their condolences as the situation became clear.

One Twitter user wrote: "Passed by #helicopter crash scene in #Vauxhall, horrible. Could've been a lot worse if crashed on station or railway."

Another said: "Jesus, just saw a helicopter crash into a crane on top of St George Tower in Vauxhall. Knocked the top of the crane off. Hope no one's hurt."

One user posted a picture of the tower, with dark black smoke billowing into the sky, and wrote: "Helicopter just hit a crane and crashed a few metres in front of me in vauxhall. Completely shaken."

Other pictures posted online showed emergency services vehicles surrounding a large fire.

Footage shot on a mobile phone showed an entire road blocked by burning wreckage and aviation fuel.

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