A Helicopter Carrying 18 People Crashed Into The Sea Off The Scottish Coast

Three people are still missing after a helicopter crashed into the sea off the Scottish coast. 15 other people on board have been rescued, according to the Telegraph.

A ferry in the area was redirected to assist with the rescue operations, and the coastguard is on the scene.

The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch has deployed a team to the site of the accident, it said on Twitter.

According to the Highlands & Islands Strategic Co-ordinating Group (HISCG), the helicopter went down about two miles of the coast of Sumburgh, on the Shetland Isles, just before 6:30 p.m. local time. The fifteen people who were rescued were sent via helicopter to Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick, and Scottish police have declared a major incident.

The helicopter was being used to transport oil workers to and from an oil and gas platforms, according to The Guardian.

This type of helicopter, a Super Puma L2, has been involved in four other serious incidents in the past five years the Telegraph reports.

We'll update this post once we know more.