Helicopter crashes in Los Angeles, killing at least three people

By Karina Tsui, CNN

(CNN) — A helicopter crashed between two commercial buildings in a Los Angeles suburb on Tuesday night, killing at least three people, according to officials.

The crash occurred in Chatsworth, about 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles, near where emergency officials were responding to a deadly bus collision in the area.

Three people were determined dead on the scene, the LA Fire Department said in a statement late Tuesday, and one person has been transported to a local hospital. Their condition is unknown.

The cause of the crash is unknown and authorities have not said how many people were in the helicopter.

The aircraft was a news station helicopter, according to CNN affiliate KCAL/KCBS. According to Federal Aviation Administration records, it was a Eurocopter AS350 B2 built in 2004 – a popular, single-engine utility helicopter.

The crash caused a fire as it landed near several vehicles and two large cargo containers, LAFD said in a statement. Videos from the scene show thick plumes of black smoke billowing from the site of the crash.

The fire has since been extinguished, LAFD said, adding that 56 firefighters responded to the incident. Four vehicles and two storage containers were damaged, it added.

The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA will be handling the investigation, LAFD said. CNN has reached out to the FAA and NTSB.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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CNN’s Josh Campbell, Aaron Cooper, Amanda Jackson, Blake Fogg and Diego Mendoza contributed to this report.