Three people killed after news helicopter crashes in Los Angeles

At least three people have been killed after a news helicopter crashed in Los Angeles near the scene of a fatal bus accident, officials have said.

Another person was taken to hospital in an unknown condition, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. The cause of the crash is not yet known.

It was not immediately clear whether some of the victims had been inside the helicopter, while officials said at least one victim had been on the ground at the time of the crash.

Captain Branden Silverman, a spokesman for the LA Fire Department, said the incident occurred just before 7pm local time (3am UK time) on the 9100 block of North Mason Avenue in Chatsworth.

The helicopter crashed into a car park near a storage building, causing a fire to break out, the fire department said.

At least four cars and two storage containers burned after the aircraft caught fire, which was quickly put out, according to officials.

"We're trying to determine how many patients were inside the helicopter," Capt Silverman said.

At least one person killed in the crash was outside in the car park next to the commercial building, he said during a news conference.

The incident occurred after an earlier crash on Nordhoff Street at 5.03pm local time involving an SUV and a bus in which two people were killed and six others were injured.

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The helicopter was one of many aircraft covering the crash, NBC Los Angeles reported earlier.

More than 50 firefighters responded to the helicopter crash, according to the fire department.

Capt Silverman described the helicopter as "pretty well destroyed" and said emergency teams were going to have to search through the rubble to determine how many victims were on board.

The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into the cause of the incident.

Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass said she was "absolutely devastated by the loss of life", adding that "my heart is with the families and loved ones of those we lost in the tragic bus collision and helicopter crash".

Ms Bass paid tribute to the emergency teams who "responded so quickly" and urged the public to stay away from the area while officials remain on the scene.

Governor Gavin Newsom thanked the emergency crews responding to both incidents and said in a post on X that "our hearts are with the victims and families".

(c) Sky News 2026: Three people killed after news helicopter crashes in Los Angeles