Helicopter Crash In Houston Kills 4, Including Child, Destroys Radio Tower

A helicopter crash has killed four passengers, including a child, in the southern US city of Houston, authorities said, with the accident also destroying a radio transmission tower.

The private aircraft "either struck a cable or actually struck at the tower", Houston police chief Noe Diaz told reporters.

No one on the ground was injured in the crash on Sunday, he added, and investigations to determine the cause of the accident were ongoing.

Television footage showed burning debris on the ground after the crash, and other videos -- apparently from CCTV cameras -- appeared to show the helicopter approaching the tower and then bursting into flame.

John Whitmire, the city's mayor, said the crash took place near a residential area and close to a highly flammable tank of butane.

"We are fortunate that it wasn't worse," he said.

Whitmire said firefighters had responded to the sound of a loud explosion, with a "fireball" visible in the air.

The helicopter had taken off from an airfield less than 18 miles (30 kilometers) from the crash site, according to authorities.

Houston, located in the state of Texas, is the fourth-largest city in the United States, with a population of 2.3 million.

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