No other injuries were reported in the crash near East Alton, Illinois, said Cpl. Dallas Thompson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. East Alton is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of St. Louis. The crash happened on the Missouri side of the river, AP reported.
“The helicopter was just working on these power lines, it hit the power line, blew up,” said witness Adam Briggs in a video he captured of the crash scene. “There was a pilot, there was a worker, the helicopter blew up and fell and crashed the barge and it’s exploding right now.”
A spokesperson for the power company Ameren said they had a contractor and its subcontractor repairing and replacing tower lighting and marker balls on lines.
“Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the victims’ families and colleagues,” the spokesperson said in a statement, adding that and they will cooperate with the investigation.
The collision brought an immediate response from about a dozen agencies in Illinois and Missouri, said Kyle Gaines, a spokesperson for the St. Charles County Ambulance District.
The nearby fire department rushed by boat to the crash site and were assisted by a private tug boat that helped douse the fire that belched black smoke from the barge, said Alton Deputy Fire Chief Matt Fischer.
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