Helicopter Crash in Chatsworth Kills Three
At least three people lost their lives and one more was hurt when a news helicopter went down in a Los Angeles community on Saturday evening, hitting the ground and catching fire close to where a bus collision had taken place hours before. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the aircraft came down beside a single-storey commercial structure in Chatsworth, located in the San Fernando Valley, while news teams were reporting on the bus crash that had already killed at least two people and injured six.[S1]
During a live broadcast, an anchor for NBC4 Los Angeles at the station verified that the outlet's chopper came down shortly before 7pm. Capt Branden Silverman, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson, told a news conference that at least one of those killed had been outdoors in the parking area beside the commercial building. Whether the remaining two fatalities were aboard the aircraft or on the ground remained unknown. One individual was transported to a hospital, though their condition was not immediately known.[S1]
Silverman stated that authorities were working to establish how many patients had been aboard the helicopter, which he characterized as largely wrecked, and said crews would comb through the debris to determine how many victims were on board. Officials reported that at least four vehicles and two storage containers on the ground caught fire after the helicopter ignited, with the flames extinguished quickly. The fire department said more than 50 firefighters were dispatched to the scene.[S1]
Roughly two hours prior to the helicopter going down, an SUV struck the center of a city bus, leaving at least two people dead and six others hurt. Images and footage shared online showed part of the SUV embedded in the side of an MTA bus. The helicopter came down approximately 1.5 miles away from the bus collision. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration said they will look into what caused the helicopter crash.[S1]
