NEW DELHI 

Three people including two pilots died in a private helicopter crash in western India on Wednesday, police said.

The incident occurred in Pune, western Maharashtra state, when the helicopter crashed soon after it took off in the morning near a hilly terrain.

“Two pilots and one engineer onboard died in the crash,” Vishal Gaikwad, a police official told reporters.

Pictures and videos of the incident showed smoke rising from the aircraft.

According to police, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation will investigate the cause of the incident.