A news helicopter crashed in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, on Tuesday night while covering a deadly traffic collision, killing three people and injuring another.
The helicopter crashed in a parking lot near a self-storage facility in the San Fernando Valley, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
NBC Los Angeles confirmed that the aircraft was its News Chopper 4. The station had earlier reported losing contact with its crew before confirming that the helicopter had crashed shortly before 7 p.m.
Three people were pronounced dead at the scene, while another person was taken to a hospital in unknown condition, firefighters said.
Fire Capt. Branden Silverman said at least one of those killed appeared to have been a pedestrian on the ground when the helicopter crashed.
The helicopter had been among several aircraft covering an earlier crash involving a Los Angeles Metro bus and a passenger vehicle on Nordhoff Street.
The bus collision occurred at about 5:03 p.m. Two people were killed and several others were injured, according to the fire department.
When firefighters and police responded to the helicopter crash, they found the aircraft engulfed in flames. The fire spread to nearby parked vehicles.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are expected to investigate the cause of the crash.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed condolences to the victims’ families and praised first responders for their quick response.
“I’m absolutely devastated by the loss of life in Chatsworth tonight,” Bass said. “My heart is with the families and loved ones of those we lost in the tragic bus collision and helicopter crash.”
The circumstances surrounding the helicopter crash remain under investigation.