NBC helicopter crash in Los Angeles: At least three dead

At least three people have died when an NBC news channel helicopter crashed near a fatal traffic accident in Los Angeles.

According to the fire department, at least one of the fatalities was a pedestrian. Another person was taken to hospital, but nothing is known about their condition.

Reporting on traffic accidents

The crash occurred near a fatal accident involving a public bus. At least two people were killed and six others were injured. Therefore, several news crews were on site to report on the accident. NBC confirmed that the network's helicopter was in the immediate area covering the traffic accident at the time of the crash. Shortly before the crash, the broadcaster lost contact with the people on board.

The helicopter crashed into a parking lot and landed on or next to several parked vehicles, according to Branden Silverman of the Los Angeles Fire Department. "We're trying to figure out how many people were on board the helicopter," Silverman said. He described the helicopter as "largely destroyed." The emergency services would have to search the rubble.

Large fire brigade contingent in action

According to the fire department, more than 50 emergency services were at the crash site. A fire caused by the crash damaged four vehicles and two storage containers. However, the fire had already been extinguished in the evening, as the fire department announced.

Several news channels then flew helicopters over the scene of the accident and reported on the collision, local media said. According to the fire department, the incident is being investigated by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).