This Sunday morning, around 9am, the Recreio dos Bandeirantes Fire Station, in Rio de Janeiro, was quickly mobilized to respond to a helicopter crash. The small aircraft crashed onto Avenida das Américas, close to the access to station 12 on the beach, hitting the forecourt of a car dealership. The impact resulted in a fire that spread to several cars at the location, considerably increasing the risk due to the presence of fuel and flammable materials in the cars.
So far, no concrete information has been released about the causes that led to the crash of the aerial device. Likewise, there are no confirmed details about possible victims resulting from the incident.
After the accident, intense dark smoke filled the region, and reports from residents circulating on social media indicate that a sequence of explosions were heard. Publications on digital platforms show the density of smoke in the affected area, highlighting the seriousness of the situation.
Given this scenario, the Rio Operations Center issued an alert to drivers, informing them of the closure of the side lane of Avenida das Américas. The traffic stoppage occurs at the Gilka Machado BRT station, towards Santa Cruz, and the Rio Traffic Engineering Company (CET-Rio) was called to reorganize the flow and minimize the congestion that is already forming in the region.
