Los Angeles, 16 September (H.S.): An NBC4 News helicopter crashed in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening while covering a bus accident in the area, killing three people, including photojournalist Eliana Moreno and pilot George Martsiniv.

The crash occurred near a self-storage facility in the Chatsworth area of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), the incident was reported shortly before 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The helicopter was in the area when a Los Angeles Metro bus and a passenger vehicle were involved in a major collision on Nordhoff Street. According to the fire department, the bus accident occurred at around 5:03 p.m., killing two people and injuring several others. Several news helicopters and journalists were at the scene to cover the bus crash. It was during this coverage that contact was lost with the NBC-affiliated helicopter.

NBC anchor Colleen Williams confirmed the incident on air, saying the station had been informed that it had lost contact with the people aboard its news helicopter. A short time later, the station confirmed that the helicopter had crashed in Chatsworth.

NBC Los Angeles identified two of the people aboard the helicopter as Eliana Moreno and George Martsiniv.

Moreno was an employee of Angel City Air and worked as an aerial photojournalist for NBC and its Spanish-language sister station, Telemundo 52. Pilot George Martsiniv was also from Southern California and had attended Burbank High School.

NBC4 and Telemundo 52 issued a joint statement expressing deep sorrow over the deaths of the two employees and extending condolences to their families, friends and colleagues.

LAFD officials said a total of three people were killed in the helicopter crash. One of the fatalities was a person who was struck by the aircraft.

Fire Battalion Chief Rico A. Gross said two other people were taken to hospital. No detailed information about their conditions was immediately available.

The helicopter caught fire after the crash, and the flames spread to nearby parked vehicles. Firefighters responded to extinguish the blaze. Several vehicles and storage containers at the site were also damaged.

A witness said he was driving with his wife, Alyona, when they saw the helicopter flying unusually low. According to the witness, the helicopter was gradually losing altitude. Shortly afterward, he saw it engulfed in flames and stopped near the scene. He said he saw a person lying near the wreckage while several other people were shouting in panic.

The cause of the helicopter crash has not yet been determined. According to officials, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will investigate the incident.

The helicopter was operated by Angel City Air, which describes itself as a full-service aerial production company.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass spoke to reporters near the scene on Tuesday night and described the day as an extremely painful one for the city. She expressed condolences to the families of all those killed in both the bus accident and the helicopter crash and praised the rapid response of emergency personnel.

California Governor Gavin Newsom also expressed grief over the incident, thanked first responders for their efforts and extended his condolences to the victims, their families and the NBC4 team.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar