4 killed in military copter crash in Istanbul

Four soldiers were killed on Monday when a military helicopter crashed in a park inside a residential area in Istanbul as it was attempting an emergency landing.

Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya told reporters on the scene that four military personnel were pulled out from the wreckage in the Cekmekoy district on the Asian side of the city and rushed to a nearby hospital.

"But unfortunately, they couldn't be saved," the governor added.

A fire erupted following the crash, and billows of smoke could be seen on the site enclosed by three multi-storey apartment buildings.

The cause of the accident is not immediately clear, Yerlikaya said, noting prosecutors have launched an investigation into the incident.