American singer Oliver Tree, whose infectious electro-pop songs attracted millions of fans across the world, died Sunday morning in a helicopter crash that killed six people in Rio de Janeiro.
A midair collision involving two helicopters occurred several miles west of downtown Rio de Janeiro in the beach community Recreio de Bandeirantes. Inside the helicopter that carried Tree, 32, were four other passengers, all of whom were also killed. The pilot of the other helicopter also perished.
Police said Tree was on the list of passengers given to aviation authorities, according to local media and the Associated Press.
Less than a mile inland, the helicopters fell onto a car dealership selling electric vehicles made by Chinese automaker BYD. One of the helicopters exploded, igniting a fire that burned through 20 vehicles.
“We were able to control the fire and it was put out, but unfortunately there were no survivors,” Fabio Contreiras, an official with the local firefighting department, told Brazilian news outlet GloboNews.
The crash also killed Lucas Frota, a Brazilian DJ; an Argentine influencer, Gaspar Prim, who has more than 3.1 million followers on Instagram; the Argentine filmmaker Lucas Vignale; and pilots Charles Marsillac and Alexandre Souza.
The crash is under investigation, but Rio de Janeiro police said early indicators pointed toward human error.
“In this moment of pain, I express my solidarity with the family and friends of the victims of the tragedy,” acting Rio governor Ricardo Couto said in a statement.
No statement regarding the accident has yet been released on Tree’s social media accounts.
Travel by helicopter is frequent in that area of Brazil, where wealthy often bypass significant traffic by taking to the air to escape the cities for beachside towns. The accident drew attention to the frequently dangerous conditions under which many flights seem to be operating. It’s not uncommon to see two helicopters flying what appears to be dangerously close to one another.
The crash brought to a tragic end the life and career of an American singer who blended art, comedy, music and style to create a unique persona. He rose to prominence over the last decade, riding the popularity of songs, such as “Life Goes On” and “Miss You” — each of which collected hundreds of millions of streams on YouTube — and music videos. He became a prominent star on TikTok, where more than 15 million people followed his antics and music.
Tree traveled to Brazil on an international tour. Days before the crash, he played in São Paulo and had seemed to develop a quick affinity for the country. On his Instagram, he was shown visiting a favela and wearing a Brazilian soccer jersey.
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