Glasgow Kelvin MSP Kaukab Stewart has submitted a motion to the Scottish Parliament, marking the 10th anniversary of the Clutha helicopter crash, which took the lives of 10 people, with a further 31 people injured.
On 29th November 2013, a police helicopter, EC135, crashed into the Clutha pub in Glasgow city centre. The emergency services operation saw a total of 125 firefighters on the scene, as well as 25 ambulances and two Special Operations Response Teams.
The 10 people who lost their lives included the three people on board the helicopter – the pilot, David Traill, and PCs Kirsty Nelis and Tony Collins. Seven were customers in the Clutha, John McGarrigle, Mark O’Prey, Gary Arthur, Colin Gibson, Robert Jenkins, Samuel McGhee, and Joe Cusker.
A subsequent Air Accident Investigation led to new safety measures for helicopters being adopted by the Civil Aviation Authority and the Clutha pub reopened its doors in 2015.
Ms Stewart’s motion, commemorating the disaster, has received support from MSPs across the political spectrum.
Commenting, Kaukab Stewart MSP said:
“Ten years on and the memory of this awful disaster remains raw for local communities around Glasgow. The emergency services on the scene worked tirelessly to save people’s lives and to make the scene of the crash safe.
“Tragically, seven Clutha customers never returned home. The two police constables and the pilot who went to work that day, did so for the last time. A decade on, our thoughts are with them and their friends, families, and colleagues.
“The Clutha disaster stole more than lives, it shattered the simple sanctity of returning home safely – be that from work in the police, protecting people from harm; or an evening in the pub, enjoying some time with friends. It robbed families of their loved ones and left an absence in the familiar rhythm of life.
“By marking the anniversary, we can help to preserve the memory of those we lost – as well as paying tribute to the emergency workers who put themselves in harms way to rescue people and save lives.”
