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Helicopter with singer Oliver Tree on passenger list collides with another in Brazil, killing 6

Helicopter with singer Oliver Tree on passenger list collides with another in Brazil, killing 6
Emergency workers inspect the site where two helicopters reportedly collided in midair and crashed into a car dealership parking lot in Rio de Janeiro.
PHOTO: AP

RIO DE JANEIRO - Two helicopters collided over Rio de Janeiro on Sunday (June 14) morning and crashed in the city's western zone, killing all six people aboard, firefighters said.

Rio de Janeiro's Military Fire Department said that one of the helicopters crashed on the parking lot of a car dealership, where several electric vehicles were parked, igniting a fire that was extinguished.

Officials said an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the collision.

Police said that American singer and comedian Oliver Tree was on the list of passengers handed to aviation authorities, but have not been able to identify the bodies of those killed in the crash.

Tree performed in Buenos Aires, Argentina on June 4, and published a video on his Instagram Saturday where he is playing football in a Brazilian neighbourhood.

Argentine streaming channel Blender said that content creator Gaspar Prim Díaz - also known as Gaspi - was in one of the helicopters.

Gaspi had more than 2.8 million followers on YouTube and was 23.

"Thanks for your art, your magic and your sensibility, every one of us will miss you," Blender said on its X account.

Fernandes de Freitas, a tyre repair worker, 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. "It was terrifying, absolutely horrifying," De Freitas said.

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