A police car stands behind the remains of a crashed helicopter at the site of the Olympic stadium in Berlin on March 21, 2013. (REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz)

BERLIN - One person was killed and four others injured on Thursday after two helicopters collided while taking part in a police training exercise in Berlin, the city’s fire brigade said.

The accident occurred at a very low altitude in dense fog and snowfall near the Olympic Stadium in a western suburb of the German capital, a fire brigade spokesman said.

Television footage showed helicopter debris showering onto a sports field next to the stadium seconds after one of the helicopters had taken off from the spot. Houses and schools are located nearby.

Germany’s Bild daily said on its website the dead person was one of the pilots.

Hundreds of police officers had been taking part in the training exercise at the stadium, designed to help them deal with soccer hooligans. Many of the participants were playing the role of hooligans at the time of the crash.

The sports field where the debris landed was once used by British forces based in Berlin during the Cold War and is now used by local schools and others for various sports activities.