A helicopter crashed into a barge on the Mississippi River between Illinois and Missouri Thursday — killing at least two people.
The chopper went down and exploded into flames at about 11 a.m. near Alton, the local Fox affiliate reported.
Two people have been confirmed dead, authorities said. It wasn’t immediately clear if anyone was injured.
Footage from the scene showed huge plumes of black smoke billowing from the barge in the aftermath of the wreck.
The charred debris of the helicopter was later spotted scattered across the vessel.
The helicopter is believed to have struck nearby power lines just before the crash.
