CNN —Multiple people were killed, including a child, when a helicopter slammed into a communications tower behind homes in Houston’s Second Ward on Sunday night, causing a fiery explosion and toppling the structure, Mayor John Whitmire said.
Officials did not clarify how many were killed, but there were four people onboard the privately-owned Robinson R44 helicopter, according to Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz.
The aircraft appears to have departed the Ellington Airport, which is about 17 miles south of the crash site, but its destination is unclear, the mayor said.
Photos shared by the fire department show the mangled tower draped across a dirt clearing behind a line of homes.
Some homes near the crash site lost power, Whitmire said.
Persons:
John Whitmire, Whitmire, Noe Diaz, ” Diaz, ” Whitmire, Manuel Arciniega, ” Arciniega
Organizations:
CNN, Ennis, Robinson, Houston Police, Ellington Airport, KPRC, Federal Aviation Administration
Locations:
Houston’s, Engelke