Helicopter Crash Kills Two, Closes Mississippi River Near Alton

A helicopter crashed into a power line and then into a barge on the Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois, resulting in the deaths of two people aboard the helicopter. The incident occurred around 11 a.m. and caused a fire that has since been extinguished, with no one reported on the barge at the time of the crash. The river was closed to commercial traffic between mile markers 199 and 201 as a result of the accident. The helicopter was involved in work related to installing and maintaining large orange marker balls on power lines to alert aircraft. Emergency responders and federal agencies, including the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board, are investigating the crash. No other injuries have been reported.