Helicopter crash near Montreal kills four, investigation underway

A helicopter has crashed in a small town outside Montreal in Canada, killing all four people on board.

Authorities said emergency services were called at around 2.30pm ET after the helicopter crashed in a field off Highway 10 on Saturday.

First responders said the helicopter was still on fire when they arrived at the site, located roughly 50km southeast of Montreal in Quebec province.

Audrey-Anne Bilodeau, a spokesperson for Sûreté du Québec provincial police, said the helicopter reportedly experienced difficulties before crashing in the municipality of Sainte-Brigide-d’Iberville.

The first responders found the crashed aircraft and later discovered the bodies of the four occupants. They were all declared dead at the scene.

Police said they have not yet confirmed the identities of the victims of the crash, with law enforcement still probing the cause of the incident.

Sergeant Bilodeau said the process of identification may "take a few days". He said the helicopter seems to have been a private aircraft.

Canada's transportation safety board has deployed a team for the investigation, which is being led by Sûreté du Québec’s major crimes unit.

Federal transport minister Steven MacKinnon offered his condolences in a post on social media.

"My thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy," he wrote.

MacKinnon said that safety of civil aviation operations is a top priority for Transport Canada, adding that the federal government was monitoring the situation and would provide necessary support.

He also announced that Transport Canada would appoint a “minister’s observer” to monitor the response, provide the minister with investigation updates, and help identify regulatory issues or safety deficiencies.