Two folks have been killed Thursday morning when a helicopter struck a powerline and crashed right into a barge on the Mississippi River close to East Alton, Illinois, sparking a fireplace.A video shared by a witness on-line exhibits thick black plume of smoke rising from the barge shortly after impression.The crash occurred round 11 am, about half a mile downriver from the Alton Dam. “The helicopter ran right into a powerline and crashed,” mentioned Rivers Pointe hearth district chief Rick Pender, as quoted by AP.Cp Dallas Thompson of the Missouri state freeway patrol confirmed that each victims have been contained in the helicopter. Nobody else was injured.The barge, which was unoccupied on the time of the crash, briefly caught hearth. Authorities say the fireplace has since been extinguished.Following the crash, industrial river visitors within the space was halted.Emergency crews, together with hearth, EMS, and regulation enforcement, responded swiftly to the scene. “Federal companies are on the best way,” Pender mentioned.The federal aviation administration and the nationwide transportation security board will lead the investigation into the reason for the crash.
