Six people killed as helicopters collide over Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro
Al Jazeera • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Two helicopters collided mid-air over Rio de Janeiro's Recreio dos Bandeirantes suburb, killing all six people on board, according to local authorities.
- The crash caused the helicopters to fall into the parking lot of an electric car dealership, igniting a fire that involved about 20 vehicles and released toxic gases from lithium-ion batteries.
- Firefighters faced challenges extinguishing the blaze due to the intensity caused by the electric car batteries, requiring significantly more water than typical car fires.
- Rescue teams found one helicopter engulfed in flames among the cars with five victims inside, while the second helicopter, located 100 meters away, carried only the pilot who also died.
- Authorities have launched an investigation and will review footage to determine the cause of the crash, amid a high frequency of helicopter accidents in Brazil, with 84 reported prior to this incident in 2026.
