Three dead in helicopter crash in Los Angeles suburb

Three people have died after a helicopter crashed in suburban Los Angeles, fire authorities in the city have said.

The aircraft went down between two commercial buildings in the Chatsworth neighbourhood, a Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) spokesperson told the BBC. One person has been transferred to a local hospital and their condition remains unknown.

Footage from the scene showed two shipping containers and several vehicles burning. The blaze has been extinguished, the fire department said.

It was not immediately clear who was operating the aircraft, but local media reports suggested it was a news helicopter that was flying near the scene of a fatal bus crash.

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.

Silverman did not specify how many people were inside the helicopter at the time of the crash.