NEW YORK: A helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in New York on Thursday, emergency services said, as local media reported multiple deaths in the incident.
Several people were pulled from the water and taken to a hospital in New Jersey, broadcaster NBC4 reported, citing law enforcement at the scene, adding that four had died.
ABC7 reported three fatalities, although emergency services had yet to confirm any toll.
Images showed the chopper’s landing skids protruding from the river beside Manhattan’s West Side Highway as several boats clustered around the impact site.
Police from both New York and New Jersey, which lies on the opposite side of the river from Manhattan, were at the scene along with fire service vessels.
NBC4 reported that its own helicopter was unable to take off due to conditions, with Thursday’s weather in New York described as windy and overcast.
Witnesses told the outlet that the main rotor blade had come loose from the aircraft.
Aircraft tracking service FlightRadar24 reported that, based on air traffic control data, the helicopter was likely a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV.
The river is a busy shipping channel and was the scene of a dramatic 2009 incident when a US Airways jet safely landed in the water. All 155 people on board survived in an event dubbed the “Miracle on the Hudson.”
The river is as deep as 200 feet (60 metres) in parts, and images of the helicopter appeared to show flotation devices deployed on the aircraft’s skids.
The average temperature of the river is 46 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) at this time of year, according to the US Geological Survey.
There is a heliport close to the Hudson Yards development, but it was unclear whether the aircraft was heading to or from the facility.
“Due to a helicopter crash in the Hudson River, in the vicinity of the West Side Highway and Spring Street, expect emergency vehicles and traffic delays in the surrounding areas,” the New York Police Department said in a statement.
A fire service spokesperson said: “We got the call at 3:17 pm (1917 GMT)” about a “helicopter in the water,” but was unable to provide further information.
New Jersey State Police did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
There have been around 30 helicopter crashes in New York since 1980, Brooklyn Borough President Mark Levine told reporters, calling for tighter restrictions on helicopter traffic in the city.
