Helicopter crashes in Rio forest, 4 killed including 3 Colombians

Four people were killed after a helicopter crashed in Tijuca National Park, Rio de Janeiro, on 8 August. The victims were the pilot and three female tourists from Colombia who were members of the same family. Fire officials said the victims died in the blaze, while the wreckage was found on a steep, hard-to-reach slope near Vista Chinesa, a popular lookout in the middle of the forest. Colombia's Consul General in Rio de Janeiro, Diana Paez, said the family had come to celebrate a 15th birthday. Because the helicopter carried only three passengers, the group split into two; the grandmother, aunt and cousin were on the flight that crashed. Consular authorities helped identify the bodies. Rio Deputy Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere then asked Brazil's civil aviation agency to urgently tighten safety oversight of helicopter tours.