Credit: Adam Briggs
Two people have been killed after a helicopter crashed into a boat on the Mississippi River.
The crash triggered a fire that sent large black plumes of smoke into the air.
Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the incident happened when the helicopter became entangled with electrical cables.
It then struck the barge, which had no passengers.
Emergency response teams from both Missouri and Illinois made their way to the scene on Thursday morning, close to the town of Alton, 20 miles north of St Louis.
Cpl Dallas Thompson of the Missouri state highway patrol told the Associated Press two people on the aircraft were killed and that there were no other reported injuries.
The identities of those who were killed were not immediately made public.
The river was closed to commercial navigation after the crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB will investigate the incident.
Reports said teams from the NTSB are expected to arrive at the location and start their investigation on Friday.
One element of their investigation will be to collect all air-traffic control communication and aircraft maintenance records.
There is typically a check into the last 72 hours of the pilot.
The final report could take anywhere up to two years to complete.
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