Missouri helicopter crash: Aircraft hits power lines, slams into barge on Mississippi River; Video surfaces

A helicopter crashed into a barge on the Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois, triggering a fire.

Emergency crews from both Missouri and Illinois rushed to the scene late Thursday morning after reports emerged of a helicopter crashing into a barge on the Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois, according to St. Louis' Fox 2. The collision reportedly sparked a fire upon impact. At around 1:15 p.m. ET, Alton PD told Newsweek, “We're working an active scene and have no comments at this time.”

A helicopter crashed into a barge on the Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois, triggering a fire. (Representative Image: Unsplash)

2 reportedly dead in helicopter crash

According to KMOX, which is a St. Louis radio station, reported on Wednesday afternoon on X (formerly known as Twitter), "Two dead in helicopter crash on a barge on the Mississippi River near Alton." An update from the station revealed, “Fire is out. Two deceased were on the helicopter, not the barge. No other injuries,” as reported by Newsweek.

This is a breaking story. More information will be provided as the story develops.