Helicopter hits power lines in Spain, four killed

Four people were killed on Tuesday when the helicopter they were in crashed into power lines in Spain, the country's interior ministry said.

The pilot, a line inspector and two workers were killed when the helicopter caught fire after crashing into power lines close to the Torre de Cabdella city limits in Lerida province, Catalonia, just after 2 p.m. local time, the ministry said.

The passengers aboard the aircraft, chartered by Spain's electricity grid company REE, were inspecting the area's power lines when the accident occurred.

The helicopter belonged to Helicopteros de Cataluna (Helicasa), one of the few companies in the country that specialize in power line inspections.

A REE spokesman said Helicasa was one of its regular subcontractors and had done this work regularly because "it is the fastest and most trustworthy way to keep installations up to date."

Source: Xinhua