Scotland mourns

The battle to recover the remaining bodies from the scene continues but police warn it may take some time. Safety work is continuing to stabilise the building and helicopter to ensure a safe working environment for emergency personnel.

A tarpaulin was covering the roof of the Clutha bar in Glasgow yesterday as the long rescue mission turned into a search for bodies and police confirmed that at least eight people had been killed after a police helicopter plunged through the roof in the middle of a bustling Friday night.

Among the dead are the civilian pilot and the two police officers who were ­travelling in the aircraft when it "dropped like a stone" from the sky during a routine patrol on Friday night. A further 14 people are still being treated for serious injuries in hospitals across Glasgow as the country came to terms with a "black day for Scotland", and planned St Andrew's Day celebrations in nearby George Square were scrapped out of respect for the dead and bereaved.

Chief Constable Sir Stephen House said: "Our thoughts and condolences are very much with the families of those who have died and those who have been injured in this tragic incident.

"We are working alongside our ­emergency services colleagues in the ongoing rescue operation. I would like to take this opportunity to praise the people of Glasgow who helped in the very early stages following the incident, and commend their courage."

The cause of the tragedy will now come under scrutiny, with investigators from the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch now on the scene and preparing to hunt for evidence - most notably the helicopter's black box recorder, which may hold clues about the aircraft's final moments before ­disaster struck.

It is the first time in more than 20 years that a police helicopter has been involved in such a crash in the Glasgow area. In 1990, a police sergeant was killed when the Bell Jet 206 helicopter in which he was travelling crashed into the side of a tenement in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, to the south of the city.

Eyewitnesses to Friday night's tragedy have described how the helicopter, a Eurocopter EC135, appeared to be spinning out of control as it fell "at tremendous speed" from some 40-50ft above ground level. Its rotor blades appeared to have ground to a halt, possibly indicating that some major mechanical failure had struck the craft.

Seconds later it crashed onto the roof of the popular single-storey pub below, where some 120 revellers had been celebrating the start of the weekend, and probably payday, with family and friends while a ska band played.

Those inside described hearing a loud bang as the chopper collided with the roof, but they were oblivious at first as to what had happened - with the lead singer of the band, Esperanza, even joking that they had promised to "bring the house down".

But a moment later a sound like a bomb exploding ripped through the bar, and the premises was suddenly pitch black and engulfed in dust as the ceiling caved in.

Eyewitnesses spoke of the heroism of survivors and passersby who risked injury and their lives to help others. Jim Murphy, Labour MP for East Renfrewshire, was in the area at the time and ran into the pub to help before emergency services arrived.

He described the pandemonium as he and other good samaritans rushed to try and get people out of the building. "It was almost like slow motion," he said. "People just formed a bit of a human chain, side by side with each other, to help pull injured people out."

The shadow minister, who was visibly shaken from the experience, said he saw "a lot of blood" inside the premises. He had tried to help a man with head injuries and was forced to clamber over the unconscious bodies of some half a dozen people amid the rubble.

The only saving grace, as many noted yesterday, was that jet fuel from the helicopter had not ignited on impact - preventing a fireball that would almost certainly have razed the Clutha Vaults to the ground and increased the already tragic death toll.

One explanation offered was that the pilot, realising in a split second that the helicopter was in crisis, jettisoned the fuel tank - perhaps into the River Clyde below. Police have appealed to the public for footage of any kind that may have been captured by members of the public who were in the area prior to the helicopter's descent into the Clutha. Officers are seeking clues as to how the aircraft came to crash.

As emergency services descended on the scene, the walking wounded were shuttled to the Holiday Inn opposite for first-aid treatment while 32 more seriously injured survivors were taken to the Victoria, Western and Royal infirmaries for treatment.

William Byrne, 45, from Coatbridge, who was in the pub when the helicopter came down, returned to the scene yesterday morning. "There was a loud bang. Then there was dust and the lights went out. It was surreal," he said. "We didn't know what had happened. At our side of the pub at least two people were trapped under the gantry. Myself and others lifted it up and managed to get them out. I spent some time with one injured man."

He added: "At our side of the pub there were less than 10 people injured - mainly walking wounded, not seriously injured. One girl had clearly been hit on the head - she had a big bump. The other side of the pub took the brunt. Myself and my friends managed to get out without a scratch. Everyone helped everyone else to get out."

There was a surreal atmosphere in the city centre yesterday as Christmas ­shoppers hurried along Argyle Street while just a few minutes walk south of the "Style Mile", in Stockwell Street, throngs of journalists and broadcasters milled around behind the police cordon as emergency services continued recovery operations at the Clutha, now hidden by metal screens. Curious onlookers gathered outside the Scotia bar, joined by a handful of distressed locals hoping for news of missing relatives.

Among them was Lisa-Marie McKellis, 31, from the St George's Cross area. She was desperately waiting for news about her aunt and uncle, Tam and Ellen McKellis, a couple in their forties, who had been inside with a group of friends enjoying their regular Friday night drink in the Clutha. No-one in the family has heard from them since Friday night and there is no trace of the couple in any of the city's hospitals.

McKellis said: "They go every Friday and sometimes Saturdays as well, but nobody has come home. I've checked at their house and at the hospitals and there's no sign of them. That's when I started to panic. Their phones aren't on at all either.

"Two of the friends they were with managed to make it out and they were just walking wounded. It's extremely upsetting for the whole family."

John Nelson, 37, from Parkhead, said he had left the pub just minutes before the police helicopter plunged through the roof.

"I was just walking up Stockwell Street when it happened. I heard a loud bang and turned around. There was a lot of commotion. I saw people running out of the Clutha, but I couldn't tell what had happened.

"I had never even been there before, but my friend had just asked me to come for a pint. I had a really lucky escape."

The tragedy comes just weeks after the owners of the Clutha submitted planning applications to the city council to build a roof garden for their customers to use in summer. There is no doubt that if the plan goes ahead, once the building has been repaired, such a garden will now be one of remembrance.

Brian Nugent, the chairman of a charitable trust that uses Tryst, the premises adjoining the Clutha, said he was waiting for news of his friend Paul Harris - a regular at the Clutha who was drinking there on Friday night.

"I'm here because I want to find out what's happened to Paul," said Nugent. "He's a Londoner originally but he loves the Clutha and he's there every night. But if he'd escaped, then I expect he would have been here too."

Throughout the day bunches of flowers were placed outside the Holiday Inn Express, across from the devastating site. Handwritten cards paid tribute of the victims, as well as to the rescue crews and the people who helped in the aftermath of the crash. One read: "To the people of Glasgow who rushed to help and the emergency services."

A woman and her young son were among the others who crossed the police cordon to pay their respects with flowers.

Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson read the tributes and Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, dressed in black, also visited the scene.

Meanwhile, firefighters used a cherry-picker to hover above the bar and inspect the wreckage of the helicopter.

Some local residents said they were stunned when they woke up to find the carnage on their doorstep.

Martin Cowan, 53, who has a top-floor flat in Stockwell Street immediately overlooking the Clutha, said he had left just hours before the crash and only learned what had happened on breakfast news this morning.

He said: "I go in every night for a glass of wine. I had watched the first part of ­Coronation Street and then I went across the road for a glass of wine, but I left an hour later so that I was back for the second part. By that point it was starting to get really busy and I don't like the idea of being in one of these small pubs in Glasgow when they get really busy, and the Clutha does - especially at weekends and when there's a live band on.

"There's only one exit and I always think 'What if something happened?', like a fight or a fire or whatever, and it was getting really busy when I left. The first I knew that anything had happened was when I got up this morning - I slept through everything. It was only when I got up at around 6am and switched on the breakfast news that I realised what had happened."

Yards away the St Andrew's Day mass at St Andrew's Cathedral on Clyde Street was sombre as worshippers prayed for the dead, injured and bereaved.

Bishop Philip Tartaglia, who said he had stayed up until 3am watching the drama unfold, said the actions of passersby who had rushed to help demonstrated the "best of Glasgow" and the "humane values of compassion, solidarity and fellow-feeling".

Present among the congregation were Matheson, Labour MP for Glasgow Central Anas Sarwar and shadow Secretary of State for Scotland Margaret Curran.

As he left, Sarwar paid tribute to the bravery of ordinary Glaswegians - perhaps recalling the last crisis to hit the city when civilians intervened in a foiled attempt to car bomb Glasgow Airport in 2007. "It seems to be the natural human instinct in Glasgow that people don't run away from things like this - they run to them," he said.

Matheson, who admitted he had not slept all night since his special advisor phoned him to inform him of the tragedy, said it was the worst tragedy he had faced in his time as a representative for Glasgow.

He said: "There is no question that this is the saddest and most gut-wrenching incident I've had to deal with in my career. But the motto of the city is that people make Glasgow and that is never better demonstrated than last night when people were running to help others instead of looking after themselves. It showed the city at its absolute best.

"This is heartbreaking news from the very centre of Glasgow. The people of Glasgow are praying for and doing everything they can to support the families and those most directly affected by this tragedy."

Thanking the Scottish Government, the emergency services and city council workers, he added: "Above all, I am proud of the people of Glasgow. When there is trouble and people need assistance, the people of Glasgow head towards those situations.

"This is a very testing time, but the city has responded with typical courage and compassion."

The Scottish Football Association advised clubs playing in this weekend's Scottish Cup ties that it would be appropriate to observe a moment's silence prior to kick-off. SFA president Campbell Ogilvie: "On behalf of the Scottish FA, I extend my deepest sympathy to the families and friends of those affected by the tragic events in Glasgow."

Rangers and Falkirk players wore black armbands during their cup match at Falkirk Stadium yesterday.

A statement from Rangers said: "Everyone at Rangers Football Club is shocked and saddened by the tragic helicopter crash at the city's Clutha Vaults bar last night. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this dreadful incident."

Last night, Glasgow Taxis pledged free transport for those with loved ones in hospital as a result of the Clutha disaster.