LOS ANGELES: Three people died after two firefighting helicopters collided in the US state of California, causing one to crash into a hillside killing everyone on board, emergency officials said early on Monday.

The helicopters were dispatched to fight a building fire that had spread to brush in Cabazon, a community some 137 kilometres east of Los Angeles, on Sunday evening when they collided in mid-air, Cal Fire chief David Fulcher told reporters.

One helicopter was able to land safely nearby, with no injuries reported among the two people on board.

“Unfortunately, the second helicopter crashed, and tragically all three members perished, which included one Cal Fire division chief, one Cal Fire captain and one contract client pilot,” Fulcher said.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2023