Fatal Helicopter Crash Reported On the Hudson River in New York

*** This is a developing story. ***

Offcials report that a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River Thursday afternoon. The New York Fire Department says that the crash occurred around 3:17 PM, according to Sky News. 

***UPDATE: ABC 7 New York reports that the victims have been identified as a family of five from Spain, along with the helicopter's 36-year-old pilot. AP News says that the family had boarded the helicopter as part of a sightseeing tour, 

The victims included Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, who is a global manager at an energy technology company, and their three children, reports the Associated Press. ***

The Telegraph reports that videos to social media indicate the helicopter may have flipped upside down in the water near the Pier 40 development near New York City.

The New York Post is reporting that witnesses said they saw the helicopter actually “split in half” before it crashed into the water. NBC News says that a witness told them they observed the helicopter going south toward New Jersey, when "the chopper blade flew off."

That same witness told NBC that the helicopter "just straight up dropped," The witness said the chopped dropped feet away from Holland Tunnel, though they didn't know if the craft hit the tunnel.

Fatal Crash One the Hudson River 

Police sources told ABC News that fatalities were reported due to the crash. The New York Fire Department and ABC had earlier reported that four people had been removed from the Hudson River, though PIX11 reports that six people are reported dead.

The New York Post, however, reports that fire offcials say that the crash killed "at least four people on board, including a child". The cause of crash is not known at this time, though offcials are on hand investigating the incident.

Many details concerning this story are either still being pieced together, or are unknown, so some accounts and witness information may contradict previous reports.