Washington, May 5 (IANS) A two-seater helicopter has crashed into the Chesapeake Bay in the US state of Maryland, police said, adding that search and rescue was underway.

The crash took place on Saturday afternoon, according to Maryland Natural Resources Police, who are trying to determine how many people were on board the helicopter, Xinhua news agency reported.

Russ Davis of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department said several boats and a dive team have been dispatched to help with the search and rescue.

According to Davis, the site of the crash is about 1.2 km from the shore. The bay is reportedly more than 50 meters deep.

The site of the crash is about 70 km from Washington.

--IANS pgh/