La Rioja, Argentina — SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO —
10 people are dead after two helicopters crashed in a remote area in northwestern Argentina during the filming of a documentary.
The crash occurred around 5pm, and it is believed that all those on board the two crafts at the time of collision were killed.
The deceased were part of a crew-team from the Discovery Channel, Channel 1 World reported. Among the dead, eight French citizens and two Argentines, authorities said.
According to the Associated Press, the 10 dead were French sports stars, including Olympic gold medal swimmer Camille Muffat, Olympic boxer Alexis Vastine and sailor Florence Arthaud.
The French sports figures were part of a team filming the reality show “Dropped,” a survivalist program with several versions across Europe.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
From The Buenos Aires Herald: Security secretary for La Rioja, Luis César Angulo, confirmed the news and explained that the helicopters were filming in the Quebrada del Yeso and El Condado areas of the province.
“Take-off was at 5.10 pm and an explosion occurred a few minutes later. Apparently the two craft collided and the result was 10 fatalities,” he affirmed.
The official also revealed that the pilots were believed to be from the province that provided each helicopter, but that still needed to be confirmed. The area of the crash forms part of the ‘precordillera’ mountain range, away from urban settlements, Angulo added.
Developing.
(Photo Credit: @Channel1World/@AirLiveNet/Twitter -Video Credit: Sky News/YouTube )
