Military helicopter crashes in U.S. Alabama, 2 killed

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A military helicopter crashed in Madison County, the southeastern U.S. state of Alabama, on Wednesday afternoon, killing both people on board.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said in a statement that the crash occurred on Highway 53 near the intersection of Burrell Road in Madison County, near the Alabama-Tennessee border.

The aircraft, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, reportedly belonged to the Tennessee National Guard, was on a routine training mission when it crashed.

Video circulating on social media showed black smoke rising from the crash site with a heavy presence of emergency vehicles.

The Madison County Sheriff's Office said there were no survivors while warning of heavy delays in the area throughout the evening.

A spokesperson for the National Guard said that it is premature to discuss possible causes of the crash.

"Like all military aircraft mishaps, the incident will be investigated," said the spokesperson. "The National Guard will support law enforcement and other first responders handling the crash site."