Four people have died after a private helicopter crashed and caught fire in a small municipality southeast of Montreal, Quebec's provincial police confirmed on Saturday. Emergency services were called to Sainte-Brigide-d'Iberville — a town approximately 50 kilometres (31 miles) from the city — shortly after 14:30 local time, where they found the aircraft ablaze. All four occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.

According to Sergeant Audrey-Anne Bilodeau, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec, the helicopter appears to have experienced difficulties before going down near the Rang des Écossais road off Highway 10. An emergency call alerted police to a helicopter in distress that may have crashed and caught fire. Firefighters brought the blaze under control within about an hour, though officials continued working at the crash site well into the evening.

The identities of the four victims have not yet been released. Bilodeau noted that the identification process could "take a few days." The cause of the crash also remains unknown at this stage.

The investigation is being led jointly by the Major Crime Unit of the Sûreté du Québec — Quebec's provincial police force — working alongside crime scene technicians. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada, the federal agency responsible for investigating aviation accidents, has also dispatched investigators to the site.

Helicopter accidents in Canada, while relatively rare, typically prompt multi-agency responses involving both provincial authorities and the federal safety board. The involvement of the Transportation Safety Board signals that a thorough technical examination of the aircraft and the circumstances of the flight will follow, a process that can take months before a final report is issued.