Two helicopters have collided in mid-air over the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, killing all six people on board, local authorities said.

Officials have launched an investigation into the cause of Sunday morning’s crash over a western suburb of the city called Recreio dos Bandeirantes.

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Firefighters said the helicopters collided before plummeting into the parking lot of an electric car dealership, setting about 20 vehicles on fire.

Fire services spokesman Fabio Contreiras said the blaze was difficult to extinguish because of toxic gases released by lithium-ion batteries in the electric vehicles.

“When this type of battery catches fire, it releases highly toxic gases and intensifies both the temperature and severity of the blaze,” Contreiras said.

“Extinguishing a fire in one of these vehicles requires three to four times the amount of water needed for a standard car fire.”

He added that the surrounding area was densely populated and that the death toll would have been far higher had the helicopters not crashed into the car park.

Contreiras said rescue workers had discovered one helicopter in flames among the electric cars, with five victims inside. A second helicopter, found about 100m (328 feet) away, was carrying only the pilot, who also died.

Debris from the helicopters was found hundreds of metres from the crash site. Footage shared online showed a thick plume of smoke rising from the car park into the sky.

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Contreiras said authorities would need to review recordings of the incident before the cause of the crash could be confirmed.

Helicopter crashes are common in Brazil.

According to statistics from the Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA), there had been 84 aircraft accidents in 2026 prior to Sunday’s crash.