Six died as two aircraft collided over Rio, igniting a fire that engulfed about 20 cars

The American musician Oliver Tree has reportedly died at the age of 32 after two helicopters collided above Rio de Janeiro, killing all six people aboard.

The aircraft struck each other on Sunday morning over Recreio dos Bandeirantes, a western suburb of the Brazilian city. Both helicopters then fell into the surrounding area, with one crashing into a car park used by an electric vehicle dealership.

The impact ignited a fierce fire among the parked vehicles. Firefighters said flames spread to about 20 electric cars before emergency crews brought the blaze under control.

One helicopter carried five people, while the second aircraft had only its pilot aboard. Nobody survived.

Reports identified Tree as one of the passengers on the aircraft carrying five occupants. A police source told AFP that the alternative singer and internet personality had been travelling in Brazil as part of his world tour.

Authorities had not formally identified the victims when the first reports emerged because the bodies had been badly burned. Tree’s name, however, appeared on passenger manifests for the two helicopters, according to the police source.

The other passengers reportedly included a Brazilian music producer, an Argentine video director and Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim, widely known online as Gaspi.

Brazilian investigators have opened an inquiry into the mid-air collision. Officials have not established what caused the helicopters to meet in the sky, leaving major questions over the final moments of both flights.

The tree had been travelling through South America as part of an ambitious international schedule. His tour was expected to include more than 70 performances across 30 countries and all seven continents.

He performed in Buenos Aires on 4 June. On Saturday, one day before the crash, he shared an Instagram video showing himself playing football in a Brazilian neighbourhood.

The musician built an enormous online following through a deliberately eccentric public image, surreal comedy and an instantly recognisable bowl haircut. His work moved between alternative pop, electronic music and internet performance, making him one of the more unusual figures to cross from viral culture into international chart success.

His best-known tracks included Life Goes On, Miss You and Alien Boy. He attracted more than 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify, while his biggest releases had been played more than 700 million times.

Miss You, his collaboration with German producer Robin Schulz, reached number three on the UK singles chart. The song later received a nomination in the international song category at the 2024 Brit Awards.

Tree also turned his fascination with oversized stunts into an official world record. In 2020, he achieved the Guinness World Record for the largest kick scooter, which measured 4.16 metres in height and 3.13 metres in length. Guinness said he attempted the feat to fulfil a lifelong dream.

The collision has now brought his world tour to a sudden and devastating end. It has also left investigators facing the difficult task of reconstructing a crash that unfolded above a city suburb and triggered a major fire on the ground.

The six people inside the helicopters were the only fatalities described in the initial reports. Fire crews extinguished the flames at the dealership as officials began examining the wreckage and the circumstances surrounding both aircraft.

Investigators have released no conclusion about responsibility. For Tree’s listeners, the shock centres on a performer who posted from Brazil only hours before a journey ended in catastrophe, leaving behind a catalogue of songs, videos and internet moments watched by millions around the world.