LOS ANGELES, Jan. 26 -- Retired NBA star Kobe Bryant was one of nine people killed in a helicopter crash amid foggy conditions in the hills above Calabasas, southern California, on Sunday.

"It is with great sadness that we learn of the death of Kobe Bryant and four others in a helicopter crash in Calabasas," the City of Calabasas confirmed on its official Twitter account early afternoon. The Los Angeles Lakers legend, five-time NBA champion and 18-time All-Star died at the age of 41.

The aircraft went down in a remote field off Las Virgenes around 10:00 this morning. Nobody on the ground was hurt, the city tweeted.

At a press briefing later in the afternoon, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said that nine people were aboard the crashed helicopter - a pilot and eight passengers.

The Sheriff did not identify anyone on the flight, saying it was entirely "inappropriate" to do so at this time until the coroner made the identification to the next of kin. U.S. media TMZ first broke the tragic news of Bryant's death, which was later confirmed by other media including cnn.

Authorities received a 911 call of "a potential helicopter down and a brush fire" at 9:47 a.m. and firefighters arrived on the scene to find that the crash had caused a quarter-acre brush fire in steep terrain, said L.A. County Fire Chief Daryl Osby at the press briefing.

Responders included 56 fire personnel - firefighters, a helicopter with paramedics, hand crews - and sheriff's deputies.

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