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Midair collision in Rio
Two helicopters collided over Rio de Janeiro on Sunday morning and crashed in the city’s western zone, killing all six people aboard, firefighters said.
“Two helicopters have collided in mid-air over the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, killing all six people on board, local authorities said”
Rio de Janeiro’s Military Fire Department said one helicopter crashed on the parking lot of a car dealership where several electric vehicles were parked, igniting a fire that was extinguished.
Police said American singer and comedian Oliver Tree was on the list of passengers handed to aviation authorities, but they had not been able to identify the bodies of those killed in the crash.
Fire services spokesman Fabio Contreiras said the helicopters collided before plummeting into the parking lot of an electric car dealership, setting about 20 vehicles on fire.
Contreiras said the blaze was difficult to extinguish because of toxic gases released by lithium-ion batteries in the electric vehicles.
Identities and witness accounts
A tire repair worker, Fernandes de Freitas, said he saw one of the helicopters in flames following the midair collision and noticed that one of the passengers jumped out of the other aircraft before it hit the ground.
De Freitas told reporters, "It was terrifying, absolutely horrifying," describing what he saw after the collision.
CBS News said Tree was on the list of passengers handed to aviation authorities but that officials had not been able to identify the bodies of those killed in the crash.
The Guardian reported that the American musician Oliver Tree was 32 and died in the helicopter crash in Brazil, citing reports that he was aboard one of the helicopters that crashed.
France 24 said there were no survivors and that the helicopters collided mid-air on Sunday morning in the western suburb of Rio de Janeiro called Recreio dos Bandeirantes before plummeting into the parking lot of an electric car dealership.
Investigation and risks
Officials said an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the collision, with Al Jazeera describing it as a crash over a western suburb of Rio de Janeiro called Recreio dos Bandeirantes.
“Two helicopters collided over Rio de Janeiro on Sunday morning and crashed in the city's western zone, killing all six people aboard, including American singer and comedian Oliver Tree, firefighters said”
Contreiras said authorities would need to review recordings of the incident before the cause of the crash could be confirmed, and he described the surrounding area as densely populated.
Contreiras said rescue workers discovered one helicopter in flames among the electric cars with five victims inside, while a second helicopter found about 100m (328 feet) away was carrying only the pilot.
The National Post quoted firefighters saying initial reports pointed to a mid-air collision and that "six fatalities have been confirmed, all were crew members of the aircraft involved in the accident."
France 24 said Contreiras highlighted the challenges in fighting a fire impacting electric vehicles, warning that "Extinguishing a fire in one of these vehicles requires three to four times the amount of water needed for a fire in a standard car."
