Goa, April 11 -- A tragic helicopter crash in the Hudson River claimed the lives of six people on Thursday, including three children, all members of a family from Spain. The New York Helicopters chartered chopper, carrying a pilot, two adults, and three young children, crashed into the river near Lower Manhattan in the afternoon, officials confirmed.

The victims were identified as Agustin Escobar, an executive with Siemens, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, and their children-aged 4, 5, and 11. The pilot, a 36-year-old man, also perished in the crash.

The helicopter had taken off from the Wall St. Heliport at around 3 p.m. and was en route to the George Washington Bridge when it suddenly veered off course and plunged into the water near H...