ISTANBUL

Three people were killed when a police helicopter crashed in western Thailand on Saturday.

One person aboard the helicopter reportedly managed to parachute to safety in Prachuap Khiri Khan province before the aircraft crashed, according to the daily Bangkok Post.

However, the whereabouts and condition of the individual remain unknown.

Two of the deceased, identified as Pratuang Chulet and Songpol Boonchai, were pilots, while the third victim was identified as the mechanic Thinakrit Suwannoi, according to the Fire & Rescue Thailand Facebook page.

The crash occurred at around 1 pm local time (0600GMT) in Nong Kok village, located in the Ao Noi subdistrict of Muang district.

As fire engulfed the Bell 212 helicopter following the crash, fire engines were dispatched to the crash site to contain the blaze.

The helicopter had departed from Surat Thani International Airport to Kanchanaburi Police Aviation Unit, following an operation, according to authorities cited by the media outlet.

This incident marks the second police aircraft crash in the province this year. On April 25, six police officers were killed when another aircraft went down.