Helicopter Crashes During River Power Line Work

A helicopter crashed into a barge on the Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois, on Thursday morning, killing both people on board. The helicopter was performing maintenance work to install visibility markers on transmission lines when it struck a power line and exploded into flames before crashing. The barge crew quickly extinguished the resulting fire before firefighters arrived, preventing further damage. The incident prompted the temporary closure of the Lewis and Clark Bridge and halted river traffic as multiple agencies responded and began their investigation. Authorities have not released the identities of the victims. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.