6 people were killed when helicopters collided in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Aviation News

Two helicopters collided in mid-air before crashing into an electric car dealership, fire officials said.

Two helicopters collided mid-air in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, killing six people on board, authorities said.

Authorities have launched an investigation into what happened on Sunday morning in the western part of the city called Recreio dos Bandeirantes.

Firefighters said the helicopters collided before crashing into the parking lot of an electric car dealership, setting about 20 vehicles on fire.

Firefighters spokesman Fabio Contreiras said the fire was difficult to extinguish due to toxic fumes emitted by lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles.

“When this type of battery catches fire, it emits very toxic gases and increases the temperature and the fire,” Contreiras said.

“Putting out a single car fire requires three to four times the amount of water required for a standard car fire.”

He also said that the surrounding area is very crowded and the number of people who died would have been much higher if the helicopters had not shot down the parking lot.

Contreiras said rescue workers found one helicopter on fire among the electric vehicles, with five people inside. The second helicopter, found 100m (328 feet) away, was carrying the lone pilot, who also died.

Debris from the helicopter was found hundreds of meters from the crash site. Footage shared online showed thick smoke rising from the parking lot into the sky.

Contreiras said authorities need to review the footage of the incident before determining the cause of the crash.

Helicopter crashes are common in Brazil.

According to the statistics of the Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA), there have been 84 airplane accidents in 2026 before Sunday’s accident.