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A helicopter carrying Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, president of Leicester City, crashed in front of King Power Stadium after Leicester's home draw with West Ham United on Saturday night.
The identity of the passengers was unknown immediately after, despite unconfirmed information that Srivaddhanaprabha was on board and it was difficult to know if there were any survivors.
King Power, spokesman for the Thai company Vichai, made no comment Sunday morning.
The incident occurred about an hour after the final whistle. The Thai owner's helicopter crashed near a parking lot near the southeast corner of the stadium shortly after takeoff at around 8:30 pm.
Eyewitnesses reported that the helicopter had just cleaned the pit roof, stayed in the air briefly and spiraled after apparently developing a tail rotor failure. A huge fireball burst and air felt burning fuel in the hours following the accident. Emergency services rushed to the scene to fight the fire and search the wreckage. The area was eventually cordoned off by Leicestershire police.
It is understood that the helicopter fell outside a fence surrounding the perimeter of the stadium. However, he crashed on club property, landing near parking E, used by Leicester staff. It is not known if the helicopter landed on an object or if bystanders were injured by the accident. The areas around the stadium were largely emptied after the match. The West Ham team was already back in London at the time.
Tim Acott, who has been a Leicester subscriber for 40 years, said, "He just got out of the stadium spinning and then falling back to the ground. Just in a spiral. He touched down with a big bang and caught fire. It's on the other side of the parking lot, I do not think there were people there. I tremble as if nothing. "
There was confusion on the outside as security personnel tried to restore order and prevent members of the public from taking pictures and filming videos from the wreckage . Supporters of the region left in obvious distress and Kasper Schmeichel, the goalkeeper of Leicester, was seen in tears off the ground.
Srivaddhanaprabha, 60, has four children. It is unclear whether members of Srivaddhanaprabha's family were on board. Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, vice president of Leicester and son of Srivaddhanaprabha, was not at the match.
A spokesman for Leicester City said: "We are helping police and emergency services in Leicestershire deal with a major incident at King Power Stadium. The club will issue a more detailed statement once additional information has been established. "
Police in Leicestershire said, "We are dealing with an incident in the vicinity of King Power Stadium. Emergency services are aware and treat. "
West Ham Vice President Karren Brady expressed his sympathy on Twitter: "My thoughts and prayers go to everyone in Leicester City, horrible pictures to the news, I pray that everyone will be well. I can confirm that everyone from WHU has left the stadium safely. "
Leicester will host Southampton in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday. However, there is some doubt that the game will continue.
Srivaddhanaprabha, who bought the East Midlands club for £ 39m in 2010, is normally flown back to London in his private helicopter after home games. He became an extremely popular figure in Leicester, who became a regular presence in the top half of the Premier League under his ownership.
The Thai businessman helped Leicester to return to the top level of English football in 2014 and became part of the club's folklore when his support allowed Leicester to win his first Premier League title in 2016.
Srivaddhanaprabha began business by opening a duty-free shop in Bangkok in 1989. Its retail company, King Power, has grown in importance in Thailand and ranks fifth among the richest people in the country, with an empire worth £ 3.8 billion.
He expanded his influence in European football by acquiring Belgian club OH Leuven in May 2017. The club lives in the Belgian second division.
