Three people were killed and two others were taken to hospital after a news helicopter crashed in suburban Los Angeles, city fire authorities said.
NBC Los Angeles confirmed that the aircraft was its NewsChopper4, which also operated for Telemundo 52, reports BBC.
The helicopter had been covering a deadly bus crash in the area on Tuesday.
The station’s hosts said the two people aboard the helicopter, described as “valued friends and colleagues”, had died.
They identified them as Eliana Moreno and George Marciniw.
A third person, who was on the ground when the helicopter crashed, also died.
Authorities did not immediately release the victim’s identity.
The aircraft crashed shortly before 7pm local time (01:00 BST) between two commercial buildings in the Chatsworth neighbourhood, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) told the BBC.
The resulting fire spread to four vehicles and two storage containers. The LAFD deployed more than 70 firefighters to the scene.
During an emotional live broadcast on NBC4, veteran news anchor Colleen Williams confirmed that the crashed aircraft belonged to the local news station.
“We knew it was a news chopper. We knew we’d lost contact with our people out there, and we’ve just received confirmation,” Williams said.
Earlier, LAFD Captain Branden Silverman told the local affiliate of the BBC’s US partner CBS that one of the victims appeared to have been outside the helicopter when it went down.
“We do have one confirmed patient that seemed to be outside of the helicopter when it crashed.
“That person was declared deceased on scene,” Silverman said.
Several news helicopters were covering the earlier bus crash when the incident occurred.
Earlier in the day, an SUV crashed into a city bus in Chatsworth, killing two people and injuring six others, according to CBS, the BBC’s US partner.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Central Division posted on X that it extended “thoughts and prayers to the family, friends and colleagues of KNBC 4, Los Angeles”.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said on X that she was “absolutely devastated by the loss of life in Chatsworth tonight”.
“My heart is with the families and loved ones of those we lost in the tragic bus collision and helicopter crash,” she added.
California Governor Gavin Newsom also posted on X: “our hearts are with the victims and families of tonight’s devastating Metro bus and helicopter crashes in Chatsworth, and with the entire NBC4 family”.
“Thank you to the first responders working tirelessly tonight.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into the crash.
