Three people were in critical condition after a medical helicopter crashed onto a California highway , US media reported, with local authorities saying emergency crews had closed some traffic lanes. The helicopter crashed just after 7:00 pm (0200 GMT Tuesday) on eastbound Highway 50 in state capital Sacramento, with flight-tracking data showing it had lifted off from UC Davis Medical Center just minutes before. 

A pilot, nurse and paramedic were on board and taken to hospital after the crash in critical condition, the Sacramento Fire Department was quoted as saying by CNN. No patient was on board the helicopter and no road vehicles were involved in the crash, officials said. Footage posted on social media showed the helicopter hovering above a row of cars before crashing next to the median in a cloud of smoke.

Bystanders helped first responders lift the helicopter to reach one person trapped underneath, fire officials were quoted as saying.The South Sacramento California Highway Patrol Area office said the US-50 eastbound and two ramps onto that highway were "shut down with an unknown ETA to reopen." "Please use alternate routes and expect delays. Additional closures and congestions possible in the area," the office wrote on X Monday night.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)