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US musician Oliver Tree is believed to be among six people killed after two helicopters collided over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday morning.
According to Brazilian authorities, the aircraft crashed in the city's western zone after colliding mid-air. All six people onboard the two helicopters died in the incident. Officials have launched an investigation to determine what caused the collision.
While police said formal identification of the victims has not yet been completed because the bodies were badly burned, Tree was listed on the passenger manifest of one of the helicopters, according to authorities and multiple local media reports.
The 32-year-old singer-songwriter and internet personality was in Brazil as part of his international tour. Just days before the crash, he performed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and on Saturday shared a video on Instagram showing himself playing football in a Brazilian neighbourhood.
The collision occurred over the suburb of Recreio dos Bandeirantes. Firefighters said one helicopter crashed into the parking area of a car dealership, where several electric vehicles caught fire. Around 20 vehicles were reportedly damaged in the blaze before emergency crews brought the flames under control.
Among the other reported victims was Argentine content creator Gaspar Prim Díaz, known online as Gaspi, who had amassed millions of followers on YouTube. The passenger manifests also listed Brazilian music producer Lucas Brito Chaves, Argentine video director Lucas Vignale and pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac.
Tree rose to prominence after gaining attention online in 2016 and became known for his distinctive bowl haircut, eccentric persona and hit songs including "Life Goes On," "Miss You" and "Alien Boy." He attracted more than 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify, with some of his biggest tracks accumulating hundreds of millions of streams.
News of the crash prompted an outpouring of tributes from fellow entertainers and collaborators.
YouTuber and musician KSI, who worked with Tree on the song "Voices," wrote: "You're 32 man. You should still be here. You still had so much life to live. So much music to make. So much content to make."
"Jackass" star Steve-O also paid tribute, writing: "I was incredibly lucky to become friends with Oliver Tree. He would check in on me regularly, and let me know he cared about how I was doing. Such a great person... I'm going to miss him."
Tree had recently begun a major world tour that included more than 70 scheduled shows across 30 countries.
