Three dead after helicopter crash in Los Angeles, fire department says

First responders at the scene of a helicopter crash in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, on Sept 15.

LOS ANGELES - Three people were killed and a fourth was taken to a hospital after a helicopter crashed in the Chatsworth area of Los Angeles on the evening of Sept 15, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a social media post.

Four patients were assessed at the scene, with three pronounced dead and one transported to a local hospital in an unknown condition, according to the fire department.

The US National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the crash, the fire department said.

The helicopter crash occurred after a vehicle collision in the area involving a Los Angeles Metro bus and a passenger vehicle earlier on Sept 15 that killed at least two people.

According to several media reports, the helicopter involved in the crash was a television news helicopter, as several TV news helicopters were in the area reporting on the bus collision.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she was “devastated” by the loss of life in the helicopter crash and the bus collision in Chatsworth, thanking emergency responders for their swift response.

Reuters could not immediately verify whether the helicopter involved was a TV news helicopter. The Los Angeles Fire Department did not immediately respond to e-mail requests for further details. REUTERS