Four people were killed in a helicopter crash on Saturday (August 8, 2026) in Rio de Janeiro, including three Colombian tourists from the same family, the country’s consul told AFP.

The helicopter went down in Tijuca National Park, a mountainside forest with very dense vegetation.

Firefighters confirmed the pilot and three women “burned to death” and released images showing the smoking remains of the aircraft on a steep, hard-to-reach hillside.

Diana Paez, the Consul General of Colombia in Rio de Janeiro, told AFP the three women were part of a family group who had traveled to the Brazilian city to celebrate a girl’s 15th birthday. The group of six had split up because the helicopter could only take three passengers.

The birthday girl’s grandmother, aunt and cousin died in the crash, and she was supposed to take a second flight later on, with her father and his partner, Ms. Paez said.

The consulate provided support to Brazilian authorities in identifying the victims, a difficult task because of the condition of the bodies.

The aircraft went down near Vista Chinesa, a replica of a Chinese pagoda known for its high-altitude vantage point, with its views of Rio from the heart of the forest.

The monument appeared in the 2011 animated film “Rio.”

In June, two helicopters collided over Rio and left six people dead, including American singer Oliver Tree and Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim. Helicopter rides are a popular attraction for tourists who want to see Rio de Janeiro’s famed sights and the natural splendor of the seaside metropolis.

Rio’s mayor Eduardo Cavaliere posted to X that he has asked Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency to immediately step up monitoring to ensure the safety of helicopter flights.

At least six people died in Brazil on Sunday (June 14, 2026) after two helicopters collided in western Rio de Janeiro, firefighters said.

The helicopters crashed into the parking lot of an electric car dealership, igniting a fire that engulfed at least 20 vehicles.

A statement from firefighters said that initial reports pointed to a mid-air collision, adding “six fatalities have been confirmed, all were crew members of the aircraft involved in the accident.”

Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere said that there were “foreign nationals on board one of the aircraft,” without giving further details.

Fire services spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Fabio Contreiras told CNN Brasil at the scene that it was unclear exactly how the accident unfolded.

“Parts of the aircraft are scattered hundreds of meters away, so the information we have is still very preliminary. We really need to get the recordings and videos to understand exactly what happened,” he said.

Contreiras said rescue workers had discovered one helicopter in flames among the electric cars, with five victims inside.

A second helicopter found some 100 metres away was carrying only the pilot, who also died.

The accident took place in the suburb of Recreio dos Bandeirantes.

Images in local media showed a thick plume of black smoke rising from the car dealership, where several vehicles were on fire.

Contreiras said the fact that the aircraft had crashed in the parking area had prevented a higher death toll.

“Given the surrounding residences, the accident could have been far more tragic,” he said.

He highlighted the challenges in fighting a fire impacting electric vehicles, which contain lithium-ion batteries.

“When this type of battery catches fire, it releases highly toxic gases and intensifies both the temperature and the severity of the blaze. Extinguishing a fire in one of these vehicles requires three to four times the amount of water needed for a fire in a standard car.”

Small aircraft crashes are common in Brazil, the world’s fifth-largest country.

Last month a small plane crashed into the side of a building in the southeastern city of Belo Horizonte, killing the pilot and copilot.

According to statistics from the Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA) — not including this latest collision — there have been 84 aircraft accidents in 2026 so far, leaving 25 people dead.