LONDON, March 14 -- One of four people killed in a helicopter crash near the east coast of England was a British peer and one of the richest men in Northern Ireland, British media reported Friday.

The helicopter came down in a wooded area in Gillingham, near Beccles during thick fog late Thursday. It is not yet known whether fog, which had affected the area earlier Thursday, was a factor in the crash, which happened around 7.30pm. Chief Inspector Stuart Armes, of Norfolk Police, confirmed all four male occupants on board died in the crash.

Lord Ballyedmond, Edward Haughey, has been confirmed among the four dead. He was a Conservative Party member of the House of Lords, Britain's upper house of parliament, and the richest man in Ireland, with an estimated wealth of 500 million pounds (830 million U.S. dollars).

He became Lord Ballyedmond of Mourne when he was created a life peer in 2004. He was a leading industrialist and owned a veterinary pharmaceutical firm, as well as having a range of other business interests.

Danny Kennedy, British Minister for Regional Development, paid tribute to Lord Ballyedmond.