At least six people were killed when two helicopters collided and crashed in the sky west of Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, sparking a fire that spread to several cars on the ground, firefighters said.The accident occurred in the suburb of Recreio dos Bandeirantes in the west of the city, AFP reported.“Reports indicate that two helicopters collided in mid-air and crashed into the parking lot of an electric car dealership, sparking a fire that engulfed at least 20 vehicles,” firefighters said in a statement.“At least six people have been confirmed dead; all were crew members of the aircraft involved in the accident,” the statement added.
Accident caused fire
Images released by local media showed black smoke billowing from the crash site and several cars catching fire after the impact.The helicopter landed on the land of a defunct church that has been leased by electric car company BYD, Brazilian digital news portal Mix Vale reported.According to reports, one of the planes exploded on impact, causing flames that quickly spread to parked electric cars and triggered further explosions.According to reports, the accident occurred in the area bounded by Avenue of the Americas, Bes Lago and Rivadavia Campos streets.
Emergency response activated
At around 9 a.m. local time, the fire department rushed to the scene and launched rescue and fire-fighting operations.Authorities closed an alley on Avenue of the Americas to facilitate emergency access and ensure public safety, Mix Vale reported.According to reports, firefighters successfully controlled the fire around 10 a.m. and prevented the fire from spreading further.Small aircraft accidents are relatively common in Brazil. Last month, a small plane crashed into the side of a building in the southeastern city of Belo Horizonte, killing the pilot and co-pilot.The accident was one of Rio de Janeiro’s deadliest aviation accidents in recent months.
