Details of the Crash and Casualties

Fire officials said an unidentified pedestrian was also killed, and two others were taken to hospital. The aircraft went down just before 19:00 local time (01:00 BST) between two commercial buildings in the Chatsworth neighbourhood, an LAFD spokesperson told the BBC.

Fire from the crash spread to four vehicles and two storage containers, and more than 70 firefighters were deployed to the scene, the LAFD added. During emotional live coverage on NBC4, veteran news anchor Colleen Williams confirmed it was the local news station’s helicopter that crashed.

Reactions from the News Community

Tributes, including from the local news community, have started to come in led by the station’s hosts, who called the victims ‘valued friends and colleagues’. One CBS editor said their ‘hearts are shattered.’

‘That helicopter community is a small group of people, and it’s just devastating to know that this has happened to one of those people, to our friends and our colleagues at NBC4,’ said Mike Rogers, CBS Los Angeles assignment editor.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said 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 wrote on X, while the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) similarly extended its ‘thoughts and prayers’ to all those affected.

Incident Overview and Investigation

In the crash which was being reported on, two people were killed and six others were injured when an SUV hit a city bus in Chatsworth, BBC’s US partner CBS reported. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into the incident.

California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on X that ‘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.’