Five people have been killed after a mid-air collision between two helicopters in Finland. The accident occurred on Saturday (17 May), local time.

Police said the two helicopters collided in mid-air before crashing to the ground. All five people on board the two aircraft were killed. AFP reported the incident.

Chief Inspector Johannes Sirilä said in a statement that five people died in a helicopter crash near Eura Airport. It is understood that one helicopter was carrying two people, while the other had three on board.

According to reports from various media outlets, all the passengers were businesspeople.

Finnish newspaper Iltalehti quoted a witness, Antti Marjanen, as saying he saw one helicopter strike the other. He added that after the collision, one helicopter fell rapidly to the ground, while the second descended more slowly shortly afterwards.

The witness also said he did not hear any sound at the time of the incident.