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Three people have died and two others taken to hospital after a news helicopter crashed in suburban Los Angeles, fire authorities in the city have said.
NBC Los Angeles confirmed the helicopter was its NewsChopper4,which also operated for Telemundo 52, and was in the area on Tuesday reporting on a deadly bus crash.
The aircraft went down just before 19:00 local time (01:00 BST) between two commercial buildings in the Chatsworth neighbourhood, a Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) spokesperson told the BBC.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said it was not yet known how many people were onboard, and no victim names had been released.
Fire from the crash spread to four vehicles and two storage containers, and more than 70 firefighters were deployed to the scene, the LAFD said.
During emotional live coverage on NBC4, veteran news anchor Colleen Williams confirmed it was the local news station’s helicopter that crashed.
“We knew it was a news chopper. We knew we’d lost contact with our people out there, and we’ve just received confirmation,” Williams said.
Earlier, LAFD Captain Branden Silverman told the local affiliate of the BBC’s US partner CBS: “We do have one confirmed patient that seemed to be outside of the helicopter when it crashed.
“That person was declared deceased on scene,” Silverman said.
Several news helicopters were in the area at the time of the incident reporting on a bus crash.
Earlier in the day, two people were killed and six others were injured after an SUV crashed into a city bus in Chatsworth, BBC’s US partner CBS reported.
Image source, CBSLAPD’s Central Division posted on X that it extended “thoughts and prayers to the family, friends and colleagues of KNBC 4, Los Angeles”.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass wrote on X she was “absolutely devastated by the loss of life in Chatsworth tonight”.
“My heart is with the families and loved ones of those we lost in the tragic bus collision and helicopter crash,” she added.
California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on X that “our hearts are with the victims and families of tonight’s devastating Metro bus and helicopter crashes in Chatsworth, and with the entire NBC4 family”.
“Thank you to the first responders working tirelessly tonight.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into the incident.
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