Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the owner and chairman of Leicester City, English Premier League champions for 2016 is feared dead after his helicopter was involved in a crash on Saturday shortly after taking off from the King Power Stadium.
Witnesses said the helicopter seemed to spiral out of control moments after it set off from Leicester’s King Power Stadium at about 8.30pm on Saturday and plummeted into the car park near the King Power Stadium.
Details about who was in the helicopter and their condition are still scanty but according to family members, Srivaddhanaprabha was aboard the ill- fated chopper on Saturday.
Freelance photographer Ryan Brown who was covering the game and saw the helicopter clear the King Power Stadium before it crashed narrated to BBC Radio what he had seen.
“The engine stopped and I turned round and it made a bit of a whirring noise, like a grinding noise. 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,” Brown told BBC.
Shortly after the crash, police cars and emergency services were seen rushing towards an area where flames were clearly visible before the area was evacuated.
A Leicester City spokesman said, “We are assisting Leicestershire Police and the emergency services in dealing with a major incident at King Power Stadium. The Club will issue a more detailed statement once further information has been established.”
Leicestershire Police said, “We are dealing with an incident in the vicinity of the King Power Stadium. Emergency services are aware and dealing.”
Srivaddhanaprabha had just witnessed Wilfred Ndidi’s late equalizer rescue a point for Leicester City from ten man West Ham at home.
The Thai businessman who owns the King Power Company bought Leicester in 2010 and became chairman the following year in February.
The father of four was ranked as the fifth richest person in Thailand by Forbes Magazine.
Srivaddhanaprabha always left the stadium by his helicopter, which landed in the centre circle on the pitch, after every Leicester home game.
Under his ownership, Leicester won the Premier League in 2016 and reached the Champions League quarter finals a year later.
