UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya and film personality Sanjay Khan had a miraculous escape on Sunday afternoon after their helicopter crashed near the helipad in Bagalkot in northern Karnataka.

Bagalkot district Superintendent of Police B A Padmanayana told PTI on phone that the impact of the crash was such that the helicopter broke into two pieces.

He said the wind-velocity at the time was very high.

Mallya, a member of the Rajya Sabha, told PTI the pilot lost control of the helicopter, which crashed from a height of around 50-100 feet.

Khan told PTI he received minor injuries, while two others travelling in the copter - Mallya's campaign manager Tushita Patel and NDTV cameraman Akmal Jami - were also hurt.

Mallya was hurt in the left leg, but an x-ray showed there was no internal injury, a Janata Party spokesman later said adding Jami suffered a fracture in his arm.

The pilot and co-pilot are safe, he said.