No other injuries have been reported in the crash crash near Eastern Alton, Illinois, Cpl said. Dallas Thompson of Missouri Highway Patrol. East Alton is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of St. Louis. The crash occurred on the Missouri side of the river, the Associated Press reported.
“The helicopters were just working on these power lines and they hit the power lines and exploded,” said witness Adam Briggs in the video where he filmed the crash scene. “There’s a pilot, there’s a worker, the helicopter explodes and crashes the barge, and it’s exploding now.”
A spokesman for utility Ameren said the contractor and its subcontractors are repairing and replacing tower lighting and marker balls on the line.
“Our thoughts and sincere sadness lie in the family and colleagues of the victim,” the spokesman said in a statement, adding that, and they will cooperate in the investigation.
Kyle Gaines, a spokesman for the St. Charles County Ambulance District, said the collision was immediately responded from around 12 agencies in Illinois and Missouri.
A nearby fire station has been assisted by a private tugboat who has rushed to the crash site by boat and helped cover the fire that blew black smoke from the barge, said Alton’s Associate Fire Chief Matt Fisher.