Leicester City's owner, two members of his staff, the pilot, and another passenger, were killed.

Owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was among five people who died in the crash near the club's ground.

Leicester City fans pay tribute to owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who has died in a helicopter crash.

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha is revered in Leicester as the man who presided over one of sport's great triumphs - but who was the billionaire Thai businessman?

It is understood two crew members and three passengers, including Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, were on board.

Flowers, shirts and tributes have been left outside the King Power Stadium.

Pat Nevin
Former Scotland winger on BBC Radio 5 live

Whenever Leicester fans rang in to gripe about the team, they were never aimed at the owners. We don't know all the facts but our thoughts are also with the families of the helicopter's crew as well.

You can get all the latest on the Leicester crash here.

Sven-Goran Eriksson
Former England and Leicester manager on 5 live

Image source, Getty Images

I know the whole Srivaddhanaprabha family and the father, and what he has done for Leicester is incredible. He took the club from the second division up to the first division, winning it, and made them a big Premier League club.

He was always there with his family. I think he saw every game during my time. The whole family were there, at training, talking to the manager, talking to the players. They are fantastic.

When I came to the club he said that he wanted to make it a big Premier League club, there were no secrets about that. He sacked me but I think he did well because I bought the wrong players, I failed. It was fair of him to do it and the result has been great for Leicester.

When you know him as I do, and of course the whole team and all the staff, you know that he is a very, very generous man. With the players, with the staff, with the people working for him, with the fans and with the community, he is an extremely generous man.

Eyewitness accounts of what happened at King Power Stadium last night paint a desolate picture.

Freelance photographer Ryan Brown, who was covering the game, saw the helicopter clear the King Power Stadium before it crashed.

He told BBC Radio Leicester: "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."

BBC Leicester commentator Ian Stringer is down at the King Power Stadium this morning, where fans from other teams have been showing their support too.

Image source, Pete White

Match of the Day floor manager Andrew James working at Leicester v West Ham:

“I would estimate the helicopter landed not much more than 100 yards outside the boundary of the King Power Stadium and whatever is there. For the first two minutes it was grey smoke billowing up into the air but within no more than two minutes there were thick flames.

“There was fire and two policeman ran down the road towards me. I was in the car at the time and I just pulled over to ring in. These policemen were shouting at everyone to get out of the way. I did hear one bang which sounded like a canister exploding.

“I didn’t personally see it come down. I saw it in the air, I saw it hovering 50 feet above the stadium and thought nothing of it. But it wasn’t on fire at that point. I’ve heard some people say it was in flames in the air. I don’t think it was. It was normal in the air but after it spiralled to the ground and hit the deck that’s when the flames started."

BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, Getty Images

Former Leicester winger Matt Piper on 5 Live breakfast: "I was at the game on Saturday. I do the summarising for Radio Leicester on match days. The chairman was there.

"It is the darkest day for our football club at the minute and we are just waiting on news now and praying that everyone who did board that helicopter is all right. We only talk about the huge things that the chairman has done for the football club but, on a day-to-day basis at games, him and his son give out free pies, beers, cakes, clappers, doughnuts, T-shirts – they are a shining example to other owners of football clubs.

"The connection they have with the people of Leicester - not just its fans - because him and his son and the King Power empire support local charities, hospitals. It's a real dark day if you’re a Leicester fan and for the wider community."

Image source, Reuters

Sam Fisher, BBC News, at the King Power Stadium: “There has been a steady flow of people wearing Leicester City shirts and hats this morning. Despite the number of fans gathered here, it’s very quiet.

“Lots of children are also here with their parents laying flowers outside the ground.

“Many people have been in tears as they approach stadium and they’ve all been consoling each other.”

Ian Stringer
BBC Radio Leicester Sport at King Power Stadium

Image source, Getty Images

People are starting to arrive in more and more numbers, by the dozens now. A small memorial has been set up outside of turnstiles 54 and 57, which is next to the club shop.

There is a memorial which has been gated off and there is a picture of Ganesha, who is an important Hindu figure. Next to that there are lots of bunches of flowers laid and propped up against the stadium. I can see two dozen people standing by the memorial and looking, simply looking, and not knowing how to react and how to deal with what’s going on.

There is only a small section of the ground that is open. There is a police cordon to my left and the crash site is behind that, no more than 400-500 yards away.

Police estimate Ivan Graham helped move £35m worth of drugs through a house.

Image source, EPA

The crash has understandably led to a huge reaction in the football world and globally, not least because of Leicester's fairytale Premier League win in 2016.

They were 5,000-1 to win the title that season, but confounded all the odds, and gave hope to everyone that their team could take on the giants of football and win. It was a story where many fans from other teams took Leicester into their hearts.

Owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha has been a cornerstone of Leicester's success, and now this. A terrible course of events which will shake the club and football to its core.

Shocked Leicester City fans react after a helicopter belonging to the club's owner crashes.

Latest news and reaction as five people are confirmed dead, including Leicester City's owner, after a helicopter crash at King Power Stadium on Saturday.

Reaction after the helicopter belonging to Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha crashes in a car park outside the club's ground.