A helicopter has crashed near Lake Maggiore in Italy, killing the pilot and injuring three passengers, the fire brigade said on Friday.
Initial findings indicated that the helicopter had taken off from the grounds of a villa on the western shore, on the Italian side of the lake. Shortly after take-off it apparently ran into turbulence.
The pilot was a Swiss businessman. The three injured passengers were German citizens. Two of them - a couple - were flown to hospital by helicopter.
The crash site is near the municipality of Lesa close to the lake.
Lake Maggiore on the border with Switzerland is Italy's second-largest lake after Lake Garda. The area is a popular holiday region.
