A helicopter crash in Houston, Texas, has resulted in the deaths of four passengers, including a child, and has also destroyed a radio transmission tower, authorities reported.
Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz stated that the private aircraft “either struck a cable or collided with the tower.” Fortunately, there were no injuries reported on the ground following the crash on Sunday, and an investigation is currently underway to determine the accident’s cause.
Television footage captured scenes of burning debris at the crash site, and additional videos, seemingly from CCTV cameras, appeared to show the helicopter approaching the tower before bursting into flames.
Mayor John Whitmire noted that the crash occurred near a residential area and in close proximity to a highly flammable butane tank. “We are fortunate that it wasn’t worse,” he commented.
Whitmore indicated that firefighters responded to the incident after hearing a loud explosion, with a “fireball” visible in the air.
The helicopter had taken off from an airfield located less than 18 miles (30 kilometers) from the crash site. Houston, the fourth-largest city in the United States, has a population of approximately 2.3 million.