Helicopter crash kills three on shrine mission

Three people died today when their helicopter crashed in the Pyrenees mountains in northeastern Spain while heading for a religious shrine, firefighters said.

A fourth person jumped out of the helicopter before it crashed and was unhurt.

The accident happened at around dawn near the town of Queralbs when the helicopter lost control and crashed into the ground, causing a small forest fire, a Catalonia firefighter spokesman said.

The helicopter was taking building material to a religious shrine in the area.