NEW YORK

A helicopter carrying six people crashed in the Mojave Desert in the US state of California, officials said Saturday.

San Bernardino police said the chopper crashed late Friday approximately 93 miles (150 kilometers) southwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, near a small town in the desert.

Authorities said the helicopter crashed en route from Palm Springs Airport to Nevada and the cause of the accident has not yet been determined.

A separate statement from the US Federal Aviation Administration noted that it has not yet been determined if there were survivors, and search and rescue operations are ongoing.