Tourists killed in helicopter crash

A sightseeing helicopter crashed in the woods near a lake in northern Italy today, killing all six aboard – five tourists and the pilot, police said.

The helicopter went down near the town of Porlezza, which is 16 kilometres (10 miles) from Lugano, Switzerland, and about 10 kilometres (six miles) from Lake Como’s western shore.

The craft exploded on impact with the ground, police said. The victims were believed to be Italians.