Washington

Two people were killed and as many injured after a fire rescue helicopter crashed into an apartment building in Pompano Beach, Florida, on Monday morning (Aug 28).

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Three people were on board the helicopter, of which one person died, while another person died on the ground. It was a woman.

The dead woman’s name was not released as her family was being notified.

The deceased on board the helicopter has been identified as Broward Sheriff's Office Captain Terryson Jackson (50), National Transportation Safety Board said.

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He served the organisation for 19 years.

The crash was reported just after 8.45 am (local time) in the area of North Dixie Highway and Atlantic Boulevard.

According to reports, the helicopter was headed to a scene in North Lauderdale at the time of the crash.

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“Terryson was a rock star. He was one of the best of us, one of the brightest. He bled this profession inside and out all day long,” Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony said, reported Local10.com.

“There’s almost 6,000 people in this agency. I’m not going to meet everybody and I haven’t, but that man I knew. I knew very well. And the type of effort and commitment he had for this community – impeccable.”

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Local reports said that the three-member crew was heading to an emergency medical rescue to take the patient to the hospital.

A clip that went viral purportedly shows flames coming from the midsection of the helicopter as it is trailed by a long plume of smoke.

The helicopter then appears to break in half as it begins to spiral, plunging to the ground.

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A witness, Brian Piggott, told the Sun Sentinel newspaper that the smoke began to come off from the helicopter as soon as it took off. It then lost altitude and crashed.

The cause of the accident is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.

(With inputs from agencies)

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