A helicopter crashed over Jinhai Lake in Pinggu District in the northeastern Beijing suburbs on Saturday morning. Its 37-year-old pilot, surnamed Lu, was killed.

The helicopter was working for the city's horticulture and forestry department. The cause of the accident was not immediately known.

A 10-kilovolt high-tension transmission line was broken in the crash, causing a localized black-out, the Beijing Electric Power Company said. It added that repairs were in progress and power could be restored within about three hours.

Initial information is that the helicopter was provided by the Beijing Pan-Asia General Aviation Company. Further details on the aircraft were not available.

(Xinhua News Agency July 12, 2008)