“We knew it was a news chopper. We knew we’d lost contact with our people out there, and we’ve just received the confirmation that, in fact, NewsChopper 4 went down just before 7 o’clock tonight in Chatsworth,” Williams said during the broadcast.

The helicopter crashed near a commercial building in Chatsworth while its crew was covering an earlier collision between an SUV and a Metro bus that killed at least two people and injured six others, according to officials.

The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation, with the Federal Aviation Administration also involved, officials said.

VIDEO | Los Angeles, US: A local NBC news helicopter crashed and burst into flames, killing at least three people while reporters were covering the nearby crash of an SUV and a city bus.#LosAngeles #NBC #HelicopterCrash

(Source: AFP/PTI)

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At least one helicopter crash victim was on ground: LA officials

At least one person killed in the helicopter crash was outside in a parking lot next to a commercial building, Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Branden Silverman said. It remained unclear whether the other two victims were on the ground or inside the helicopter. Silverman described the helicopter as “pretty well destroyed”. Crews searched through the wreckage following the crash.

One person was taken to the hospital, though their condition was not known. Capt. Branden Silverman, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department, said the helicopter was “pretty well destroyed” and officials were searching the rubble to determine how many victims were on board.

At least four cars and two storage containers also caught fire after the helicopter crashed. The fire was quickly extinguished, officials said.

More than 50 firefighters respond to Los Angeles helicopter crash

More than 50 firefighters responded to the crash, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.