Two people were killed Thursday morning when a helicopter collided with a barge on the Mississippi River near East Alton, Illinois, just north of St. Louis, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Cpl. Dallas Thompson confirmed that both occupants of the helicopter died in the crash. Authorities reported no additional injuries, and no one was aboard the barge at the time of impact.
The crash occurred around 11 a.m., roughly a half-mile downstream from the Alton Dam. Chief Rick Pender of the Rivers Pointe Fire District stated the helicopter hit a powerline before crashing into the river.
The FAA said the river was immediately shut down to commercial traffic following the incident.
Footage recorded by a witness, Adam Briggs, and shared with CBS affiliate KMOV-TV, captured a plume of black smoke billowing from the site of the wreck.
Fire crews, emergency medical teams, and local law enforcement responded to the scene. Federal investigators from the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are expected to lead the crash investigation.
The Illinois State Police announced that the Lewis and Clark Bridge into Illinois has been closed indefinitely due to the incident.
