Los Angeles: A news helicopter crashed in a Los Angeles neighbourhood on Tuesday and burst into flames, killing at least three people near the scene where an SUV had slammed into a city bus, officials said.
The helicopter crashed around 7 pm near a one-story commercial building in the neighbourhood of Chatsworth in the San Fernando Valley, as news crews were covering the bus crash that left at least two people dead and six others injured, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. An NBC4 Los Angeles anchor at the station confirmed during a live broadcast that its chopper went down just before 7 pm.
At least one person killed in the helicopter crash was outside in the parking lot next to the commercial building, Capt. Branden Silverman, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department, said during a news conference. It was unclear if the other two who were killed were on the ground or inside the aircraft. One person was taken to the hospital, but their condition was not immediately clear.
“We're trying to determine how many patients were inside the helicopter,” said Silverman, who described the helicopter as “pretty well destroyed” and added that officials would be sorting through the rubble to see how many victims were on board. At least four cars and two storage containers on the ground burned after the helicopter caught fire, which was quickly put out, according to officials. More than 50 firefighters responded to the helicopter crash, according to the fire department.
About two hours before the crash, an SUV slammed into the middle of a city bus, killing at least two people and injuring six others. Photos and videos online showed half of the SUV lodged into the side of an MTA bus.
The helicopter crashed about a mile and a half from the bus crash. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration said they will be investigating the cause of the helicopter crash.