A Los Angeles helicopter crash has killed three people and injured another after the aircraft came down in a parking area near the scene of a fatal bus collision.
The helicopter struck the area between two buildings near Northoff Street and DeSoto Avenue in Chatsworth shortly before 7pm on Tuesday. It landed on two shipping containers and several parked vehicles, causing a large fire.
Firefighters said the flames threatened four nearby vehicles. Once the blaze had been extinguished, a canopy was erected over at least one body.
Four vehicles and two storage containers were damaged. One other person was taken to a local hospital, although their condition was not known.
The aircraft was reportedly a television news helicopter, but authorities have not established who was operating it or where it had come from.
Colleen Williams, a veteran NBC 4 Los Angeles anchor, said on air: “We are not in contact with our television news helicopter.”
She added: “We have lost contact with our people.”
The helicopter had apparently been covering an earlier collision involving an SUV and a Metro bus at the same intersection. The crash happened at about 5pm and resulted in multiple deaths and injuries.
Images from the scene showed the front half of the SUV embedded in the side of the bus. After the vehicle was removed, a large hole could be seen in the bus.
An urban search and rescue team was involved in freeing people from the wreckage, including at least one person trapped beneath the bus.
Fifty-six Los Angeles Fire Department personnel attended the emergency response. The intersection is expected to remain closed for some time while the two incidents are dealt with.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the Los Angeles helicopter crash. Its cause remains unclear.
