The accident happened at 08:00 this morning near Vauxhall in London

Two people have been killed in south London after a helicopter hit a crane early this morning in misty conditions.

Police confirmed one of the dead was in the helicopter, while the other was on the ground.

A further nine people were injured, one critically, following the incident.

The helicopter hit the crane in misty conditions at 08:00.

Some sixty firefighters are at the scene near Wandsworth Road in South Lambeth.

The incident caused gridlock with all approaches to the Vauxhall Cross one way system closed at the height of the rush hour.

Vauxhall Tube station and railway stations were also closed.

London Fire Brigade station manager Bruce Grain said the helicopter crashed into Wandsworth Road hitting various vehicles and bursting into flames.

A lifeboat also searched the Thames after a request from London Heliport at Battersea which had lost contact with one of its aircraft,

However, an RNLI spokesman said the search was later called off.