Three people have died after a helicopter crashed between two commercial buildings in Los Angeles, fire authorities said.
The aircraft crashed in the Chatsworth neighbourhood shortly before 19:00 local time on Tuesday, near Lurline Avenue and Nordhoff Street. Los Angeles Fire Department spokespersons said the helicopter came down between two commercial buildings. One person was taken to a local hospital, although their condition was not immediately known.
Firefighters also battled a blaze involving two shipping containers and several vehicles. However, the fire was later extinguished. Local media reported that the helicopter may have been a news aircraft operating near the scene of an earlier fatal bus crash.
The Los Angeles Police Department said it was not yet known how many people were aboard the helicopter or who operated it. LAFD Captain Branden Silverman said one confirmed patient appeared to have been outside the helicopter when it crashed. The person was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Several news helicopters were reportedly in the area covering a separate crash earlier on Tuesday. Two people were killed and six others injured after an SUV collided with a city bus in Chatsworth, according to reports from the scene.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she was devastated by the deaths from the bus collision and helicopter crash. She expressed sympathy for the victims’ families and loved ones. The cause of the helicopter crash has not been established.