3 dead, 2 injured after helicopter crashes into California house

At least three people were killed and two others injured on Tuesday when a helicopter crashed into a house in the U.S. state of California, authorities said.

The four-seat Robinson R44 went down at about 1:45 p.m. in the gated community in Newport Beach on the U.S. West Coast, about 45 miles (72 km) southeast of Los Angeles, the authorities said.

Four people were believed to be on board when the chopper went down, but nobody was inside the home at the time of the crash, the Newport Beach Police Department tweeted. "It does not appear that any persons on the ground were involved."

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)