Helicopter crashes with four people, including pilot and three Colombian tourists
Four people died in a helicopter accident in the Vista Chinesa region, in Alto da Boa Vista, South Zone of Rio de Janeiro, on July 8. The victims are the pilot of the aircraft and three tourists of Colombian nationality who were visiting the city.
The Rio de Janeiro Fire Department received the call for the incident at 11:11 am. Teams from the Air Operations Group managed to locate the wreckage of the aircraft, a Robinson 44 model.
The place where the helicopter crashed is a dense forest area with difficult access. Specialized professionals continued to search for other possible victims.
More on this story: Tragic plane crash in Rio de Janeiro kills four people near Vista Chinesa
- Those killed in the accident are:
- Alessandro Rocha, pilot of the aircraft;
- Rocio Cubillos, Colombian tourist;
- Sofia Murillo, Colombian tourist;
- Wendy Manrique, Colombian tourist.
There were fires in the area of the accident, which led to the mobilization of military personnel trained in fighting forest fires.
The aircraft exploded as it crashed, and the flames spread through the vegetation. Firefighters specializing in forest fires were called and managed to extinguish the fire.
All four occupants of the helicopter were found charred.
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Learn more: Civil Defense confirms four deaths after helicopter crash in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro
The rescue operation involved the participation of approximately 40 military personnel, in addition to 11 vehicles and 4 operational units.
Lieutenant Colonel Fábio Contreiras, spokesman for the Fire Department, explained that the biggest challenge for the teams was access to the site. He explained that the helicopter crashed in a steep forested area with cliffs, requiring rope techniques and special equipment for rescuers to work.
Contreiras added that, upon arrival, the teams found, in addition to the wreckage, a fire caused by the fuel explosion. He assured that the fire was completely controlled.
The spokesperson also mentioned that the next objective is to open faster access to assist the work of the Civil Police and Cenipa experts, as well as speed up the removal of bodies. The expectation was that this process would be completed on the same day.
