Arabic version: مقتل ثلاثة أشخاص إثر تحطم مروحية في تشاتسوورث

According to BBC News, three people have died after a helicopter crashed between two commercial buildings in the Chatsworth neighbourhood of suburban Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Fire Department said one person was taken to a local hospital, although their condition was not known.

The aircraft went down shortly before 19:00 local time on Tuesday near Lurline Avenue and Nordhoff Street. Footage from the scene showed flames and smoke, with two shipping containers and several vehicles burning. Fire authorities said the blaze was later extinguished.

Los Angeles Police Department said it was not yet known how many people had been aboard the helicopter or who owned it. LAFD Captain Branden Silverman earlier told the local affiliate of CBS that one confirmed patient appeared to have been outside the helicopter when it crashed and was declared dead at the scene.

Local media reports suggested the aircraft may have been a news helicopter operating near the site of a fatal bus crash. Several news helicopters were reportedly in the area covering that earlier incident, in which two people were killed and six others injured after an SUV struck a city bus in Chatsworth.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she was “absolutely devastated by the loss of life in Chatsworth tonight” and expressed sympathy for families and loved ones affected by both events. The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into the helicopter crash.