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Two helicopters collided mid-air over the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro on Sunday morning, killing all six people on board, local authorities said. Among the dead was American alt-pop singer and internet personality Oliver Tree, who was in Brazil on a world tour.

The helicopters crashed into the parking lot of an electric car dealership in the western suburb of Recreio dos Bandeirantes, igniting a fire that engulfed at least 20 vehicles. Firefighters said the blaze was difficult to extinguish because of toxic gases released by lithium-ion batteries in the electric vehicles.

Coverage comparison

Reports from multiple outlets, including Al Jazeera, Dawn, France 24, The Guardian, Jerusalem Post, South China Morning Post, and The Hindu, all confirmed the collision and the death toll. Most sources identified Oliver Tree as aboard one of the aircraft, citing police sources. The accident occurred on Sunday morning, with the helicopters crashing into the car park of an electric car dealership.

Some outlets provided additional details about the victims and the scene. The Guardian reported that the passengers alongside the singer included a Brazilian music producer, an Argentine video director, and Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim. France 24 reported that Tree had over 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify, with his top songs listened to over 700 million times.

Fire services spokesman Fabio Contreiras was quoted by several outlets saying that the blaze was difficult to extinguish due to toxic gases from lithium-ion batteries. He also noted that extinguishing a fire in one of these vehicles requires three to four times the amount of water needed for a standard car fire.

Key Claims

  • Two helicopters collided mid-air in Rio de Janeiro, killing all six people on board, as reported by Al Jazeera, Dawn, France 24, The Guardian, Jerusalem Post, South China Morning Post, and The Hindu.
  • American alt-pop singer and internet personality Oliver Tree was aboard one of the helicopters, as confirmed by multiple outlets citing police sources. He was listed on the manifest of one aircraft, according to a police source cited by France 24 and Dawn.
  • The helicopters crashed into the parking lot of an electric car dealership, setting ablaze around 20 cars, as reported by several outlets.
  • The collision occurred on Sunday morning in the western suburb of Rio de Janeiro called Recreio dos Bandeirantes, according to France 24 and The Hindu.
  • Fire services spokesman Fabio Contreiras said the blaze was difficult to extinguish due to toxic gases released by lithium-ion batteries in the electric vehicles, as reported by Al Jazeera and The Hindu.
  • Extinguishing a fire in one of these vehicles requires three to four times the amount of water needed for a standard car fire, according to Contreiras.
  • Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere said there were "foreign nationals on board one of the aircraft," as reported by South China Morning Post and The Hindu.
  • The victims could not be formally identified yet as they were badly burned in the crash, according to a police source cited by France 24 and Dawn.