Prateek Tanmay
Emergency workers inspect the site where two helicopters reportedly collided in midair and crashed into a car dealership parking lot in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo: AP) Two helicopters crashed into each other over Rio de Janeiro Sunday morning, then went down in the city’s west side. All six people on board were killed, firefighters confirmed.
According to Rio’s Military Fire Department, one helicopter hit the parking lot of a car dealership.
Several EVs were parked there and caught fire, but crews managed to put it out. The cause of the midair collision is still under investigation, officials said.
Police said American singer/comedian Oliver Tree was listed as a passenger with aviation authorities, but the bodies haven’t been identified yet. Tree played a show in Buenos Aires on June 4 and posted an Instagram video Saturday of himself playing soccer in a Brazilian neighborhood.
Argentine streaming outlet Blender reported that YouTube creator Gaspar Prim Díaz, known as “Gaspi,” was also on one of the choppers. He was 23 and had 2.8M+ YouTube followers.
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— BNO News (@BNONews) June 14, 2026
“Thanks for your art, your magic and your sensibility, every one of us will miss you,” Blender said on its X account.
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Tire repair worker Fernandes de Freitas told reporters he saw one helicopter engulfed in flames after the collision. He said a passenger jumped from the other helicopter before it crashed. “It was terrifying, absolutely horrifying,” De Freitas said.
