Six Killed in Helicopter Collision Over Rio de Janeiro

Six people died Sunday when two helicopters collided in western Rio de Janeiro, firefighters said. The aircraft crashed into the parking lot of an electric car dealership, igniting a fire that engulfed at least 20 vehicles.

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six fatalities have been confirmed, all were crew members of the aircraft involved in the accident.

Firefighters confirmed six fatalities, all crew members of the aircraft involved in the accident. Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere mentioned that "foreign nationals" were on board one of the aircraft, but provided no further details. The exact sequence of events remains unclear, with parts of the aircraft scattered hundreds of meters away, according to fire services spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Fabio Contreiras.

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foreign nationals on board one of the aircraft

Contreiras described the scene, stating that rescue workers found one helicopter in flames among the electric cars, with five victims inside. A second helicopter, found about 100 meters away, contained only the pilot, who also died. The accident occurred in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes suburb.

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Parts of the aircraft are scattered hundreds of meters away, so the information we have is still very preliminary. We really need to get the recordings and videos to understand exactly what happened

Images from local media showed thick black smoke billowing from the car dealership, with several vehicles burning. Contreiras emphasized that the crash location in the parking area prevented a higher death toll, noting it "could have been far more tragic" given the nearby residences. He also highlighted the challenges of fighting fires involving electric vehicles due to their lithium-ion batteries, which intensify heat and blaze severity and require significantly more water to extinguish.

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Given the surrounding residences, the accident could have been far more tragic