Two people have been killed after an air ambulance crashed en route to a mountain rescue mission.
The helicopter received a call of a hiker in need of being airlifted to hospital due to breathing problems and chest pains in the southeast of the Alabama city of Birmingham.
It is understood that the Eurocopter EC130 crashed near the community of Chelsea in Shelby County, leaving two of its crew dead and a third needing hospital care.
Speaking about the horrific incident, Shelby County chief deputy sheriff Clay Hammac said: "Our deputies did the best they could to render aid. The helicopter was on fire."
A deputy called 911 to report the crash but said that one of the three crew members was pronounced dead at the scene by medics.
Two others were taken to a hospital, where one later died, however, the condition of the third crew member was not immediately available.
The hiker was transported separately and made it to a hospital safely, according to Hammac, but the hiker's condition has not been reported.
Emergency crews remain at the site of the wreckage and law enforcement officers planned to secure it overnight while the investigations continue.
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into the crash, assisted by the FAA.
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