Fears for Leicester City's Thai chairman after helicopter crash

LEICESTER, England - Leicester City soccer club's Thai chairman was the subject of growing concerns on Sunday after a helicopter belonging to the billionaire crashed and burst into flames in the stadium car park shortly after taking off from the club's pitch.

There was no confirmation whether London-based Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who frequently flies to and from Leicester's home games by helicopter, was on board the aircraft which appeared to develop mechanical problems.

The BBC's Southeast Asia correspondent tweeted that a "source close to the family" had confirmed he was on board, but there was no word from Leicester City or from Thai officials of King Power, Vichai's duty-free shopping empire.

Images showed smoke rising from the fiery wreckage in the car park at King Power Stadium - the scene of unbridled jubilation after Leicester's against-all-odds Premier League title victory in 2016.

Freelance photographer Ryan Brown, who was covering Saturday's 1-1 draw with West Ham, told BBC Radio 5 Live that he saw the helicopter rise out of the stadium before it crashed.

"Literally the engine stopped and I turned around, and it made a bit of a whirring noise. It turned silent, blades started spinning and then there was a big bang," he said.

He said he saw "a huge fireball" when he ran to the scene.

None of the identities of the pilot or passengers was revealed, and there was also no information about whether anyone on the ground was injured.

"We are assisting Leicestershire Police and the emergency services in dealing with a major incident at King Power Stadium," the club said in a statement.

As expressions of concern poured in from around the football world, England legend Gary Lineker, a former Leicester player and host of the BBC's Match of the Day, tweeted: "That was the most difficult @BBCMOTD I've ever hosted... A terrible tragedy. Heartbreaking."

Leicester footballers Jamie Vardy and Harry Maguire both tweeted praying hands emojis and West Ham defender Pablo Zabaleta, who also played in Saturday's game, tweeted: "My thoughts and prayers are with all those involved in the helicopter accident at Leicester City."

Nualphan Lamsam or Madam Pang, an influential figure in Thai football who manages the national women's team, sent "moral support to Vichai and family" in a post on Facebook.

Sky Sports said the helicopter took off from the pitch between 1930 and 1945 GMT but developed problems shortly afterward with its tail rotor.

It was under Vichai's ownership that Leicester crafted one of the biggest fairy-tales in English soccer history by winning the 2015/16 Premier League, having started the season as 5,000-1 outsiders for the title.

Agence France - presse