NEW: Six people have died after 2 helicopters collide mid-air in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Southwest of Rio de Janeiro.
The Fire Department was called at 8:59 am to the accident. One helicopter crashed on the grounds of an abandoned church and the other exploded when it hit the ground, causing flames to spread through some electric vehicles, which caused more explosions.
Authorities said in a statement, "The Brazilian Air Force (FAB), through the Center for the Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (Cenipa), informs that, on Sunday (14), investigators from the Third Regional Service for the Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (Seripa 3), based in Rio de Janeiro (RJ), were called to carry out the initial action of the occurrence involving two aircraft, registration PP-MAC and PR-DJJ, in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, in the Southwest Zone of Rio de Janeiro (RJ). During the initial action, qualified and accredited professionals apply specific techniques for data collection and confirmation, preservation of elements, initial verification of damage caused to the aircraft or by the aircraft, in addition to the collection of other information necessary for the investigation."
🚨 BREAKING: American singer Oliver Tree is dead at 32 after 2 helicopters collided in mid-air over Rio de Janeiro and crashed into a parking lot this morning
> Sunday morning, Recreio dos Bandeirantes, west Rio
> 2 choppers clipped each other in the air, then dropped
> they hit a vehicle lot on Avenida das Americas and set around 20 cars and bikes on fire
> 6 dead: Oliver Tree, Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim, Lucas Brito Chaves, and 2 pilots
> 5 were in one helicopter, the second pilot was flying solo
> he was in Brazil on his world tour, played Sao Paulo on June 6