STRASBOURG France (Reuters) - Five Swiss nationals died in a helicopter crash near the eastern French city of Montbeliard on Thursday, French authorities said.

One further passenger was seriously wounded, while another was being extracted from the wreckage, according to the prefecture of the Doubs department, which borders Switzerland.

The civil EC 130 helicopter, which departed from Lausanne on Thursday morning, sent a distress signal as it prepared to land at Montbeliard, the authorities said.