Helicopter crashes into Hudson River : Six dead

Six people including three children were killed after a sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in New York on Thursday, sparking a major water rescue operation, authorities said.

The crash killed all those onboard the aircraft: the pilot and a family from Spain. Two of the victims were initially taken to a hospital, but later succumbed to their injuries. "At this time, all six victims have been removed from the water. And sadly, all six victims have been pronounced deceased," Mayor Eric Adams told a briefing, after earlier calling it a "heartbreaking and tragic crash."

The chopper's landing skids were seen protruding from the river beside a tunnel vent as several boats clustered around the impact site. Police from both New York and New Jersey, which is on the opposite side of the river from Manhattan, responded to the scene along with fire department vessels.

The NBC4 channel reported that its own helicopter was unable to take off because of weather conditions, with the weather in New York on Thursday gusty under thick cloud cover. A witness told AFP it appeared like the helicopter's rotor blade "shattered in the sky."

"And after it shattered, then we saw the helicopter just spiral... And then it just crashed into the water just like that," said fashion designer Belle Angel.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement it was Bell 206 helicopter. "The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate," it added.

President Donald Trump took to social media to call the crash "terrible." "The footage of the accident is horrendous. God bless the families and friends of the victims," he wrote on Truth Social.