Five people were killed after a US-made helicopter crashed in South Korea's Gangwon province, Yonhap news agency reported, citing the fire service.

The US-made Sikorsky S-58T helicopter crashed in the Yangyang area around 10:50 a.m. local time, media reports said.

At first, smoke could be seen on the spot, and then parts of the aircraft caught fire.

According to reports, firefighters and emergency services arrived to help.

A helicopter, chartered by Japanese authorities, flew over the area and analyzed the forest for possible wildfires.

Initially, it was believed that there were only two people in the helicopter at the time of the accident - a 71-year-old pilot and a 54-year-old mechanic. However, rescuers found five bodies at the scene.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duk-su ordered local authorities to do everything possible to remove the consequences of the accident and help the families of the victims.

This is the fourth helicopter accident in South Korea in the last two years, and all four times the planes of the American manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft participated in the accidents.