An attack helicopter ripped the top floor off a house and set it on fire as it crashed into a residential area in Japan on Monday.

The Boeing Apache helicopter crashed in Kanzaki city, in southern Japan, during a training exercise, officials said.

Two people were on board the helicopter at the time of the crash, and one person has been taken to hospital suffering heart and pulmonary arrest, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Footage uploaded to social media showed a think plume of smoke rising from a building and a single house completely engulfed in flames.

Authorities have not given a reason for the crash, and say they are still checking whether anybody was injured or killed.

Residents reported a big boom and ripping noises from the sky before the crash.

The Ground Self Defence Force helicopter, which is built by Boeing Co, came down in Saga prefecture during training, Minister of Defence Itsunori Onodera said in comments aired by NHK.

The crash, close to an elementary school, comes as public attention is focused on incidents involving military helicopters following a series of emergency landings and parts falling from aircraft operated by the U.S. Marines in the island of Okinawa.