Hundreds of guests were evacuated from the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Cairns after a helicopter crashed into the roof in the early hours of Monday morning, killing the pilot.

Up to 400 people were evacuated from the hotel and two guests, an 80-year-old man and 70-year-old woman, were taken to hospital and later discharged.

Emergency services said the helicopter had flown from the general aviation area of Cairns airport and had been in the air a short while before crashing into the hotel, setting the top of the building alight. Two of its propellers came off and landed on the street and in the hotel pool. A video of the fire was shared on Facebook.

Queensland Police acting Chief Superintendent Shane Holmes said: “I think it’s just by pure luck that … more people weren’t injured.”

Scenic tour company Nautilus Aviation said it owned the twin-engine helicopter, which it said was on an ‘unauthorised’ flight.

An investigation is underway into the crash and the identity of the pilot after Nautilus said its pilots had all been accounted for.

It said: “Nautilus Aviation are working closely with the Queensland Police, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and other authorities as they investigate the unauthorised use of one of our helicopters in the early hours of this morning.”

A spokeswoman for Hilton said: “DoubleTree by Hilton Cairns can confirm that a helicopter has crashed into the hotel during the early hours of the morning.

“The wellbeing, safety and security of our guests is of paramount importance. Guests and Team Members have been successfully evacuated from the premises and re-accommodated elsewhere while we work through this issue.

“We are working with authorities as they investigate the incident so we still don’t have all the answers. Any further inquiries should be directed to the local police department.”

Video credit: David Veronica Knight