A helicopter has crashed in the French Alps killing five of the six people on board, writes BBC.

The aircraft, owned by a private company, was carrying out a rescue mission when it went down near the town of Bonvillard in the Savoie area. The cause of the crash is unclear, but officials say it could have been caused by poor weather. The alarm was raised by the pilot who managed to escape from the helicopter and was found seriously injured.

The helicopter belongs to Service Aérien Français, a private company that conducts search-and-rescue missions and other air services across France.