ALTON, Ill. – Two people were killed after a helicopter crashed into a barge on the Mississippi River just north of St. Louis.
Emergency responders from Missouri and Illinois converged late Thursday morning on an area of the river near Maple Island, just east of the Melvin Price Locks and Dam.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), a Hughes 369D helicopter struck transmission lines over the river and crashed into the barge at 11:05 a.m. The barge then caught fire.
Two people on the helicopter died, according to Madison County officials.
No one on the barge was injured. It’s unclear what was on the barge; FOX 2 News is working to confirm what was on the barge.
The NTSB will lead the investigation and coordinate with the FAA.
This is a breaking news story. FOX 2 will have more information on-air and online as it becomes available.
