Report: 1 dead, 3 injured in helicopter crash in Latvia

HELSINKI – Baltic news agency says a civilian helicopter has crashed in Latvia during a local car rally, killing one person and injuring three.

The Baltic News Service agency said Sunday that the crash took place in the Priekule region in southwestern Latvia during one of the stages of the Rally Liepaja, which is part of the European Rally Championship rounds.

The agency, citing Latvian officials and witness accounts, said the helicopter apparently got tangled up in an electricity cable as it was taking off.

Latvian news portal Delfi said the the four-seater Robinson R44 helicopter belonged to a local company that was offering charter flights to rally spectators.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the casualties were all helicopter passengers. Delfi, citing municipal authorities, said the person killed was a Polish citizen.