Several people were killed Sunday evening when a helicopter struck a radio tower in Houston, sparking a major fire, authorities said.
Police Chief J. Noe Diaz said at a news conference that there were four people on board, including a child, and that several people were killed when the private helicopter crashed.
The Houston Fire Department initially reported that the crash occurred in the city’s Second Ward neighborhood, where the helicopter appeared to have struck a radio tower before sparking the fire around 7:54 p.m. local time.
At the news conference, fire officials said the fire spread up to three blocks before it could be stopped. Businesses in the area were closed at the time.
Diaz said it appeared no one on the ground was injured. He described the helicopter as a Robinson R44 that had taken off from Ellington Field. The destination was not immediately known.
The identities of the people on board have not been released.
Officials said the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration would investigate.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
