US musician Oliver Tree, 32, killed in helicopter crash in Brazil
Two helicopters collided over Rio de Janeiro on Sunday morning, crashing in the city’s western zone and killing all six people on board. According to the Rio de Janeiro Military Fire Department, one of the aircraft crashed into a car dealership parking lot, igniting a fire that involved several electric vehicles. Officials stated that an investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the collision. The victims included American singer and internet personality Oliver Tree, who was 32 years old and on a world tour. While police sources confirmed Tree was on the passenger manifest, they noted that the bodies could not be formally identified yet because the victims were badly burned. Other confirmed passengers included Brazilian music producer Fernandes de Freitas and Argentine content creator Gaspar Prim Díaz, known online as “Gaspi.” According to reports, one helicopter carried five people while the other carried only the pilot. Witness accounts of the crash vary. A tire repair worker reported seeing one helicopter in flames following the midair collision and claimed to see one passenger jump from the other aircraft before it hit the ground. Firefighters reported that the aircraft plummeted into the car park, setting ablaze approximately 20 cars. The crash occurred in the western suburb of Recreio dos Bandeirantes. Tree, who was scheduled to be in the UK in September, had recently performed in Buenos Aires on June 4 and posted a video on Instagram on Saturday showing him playing soccer in a Brazilian neighborhood.
Sources
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