8 French, 2 pilots killed in Argentina copter collision

At least ten people, including eight French nationals, have been killed in a helicopter collision in northern Argentina.

The incident occurred on Monday when two helicopters carrying passengers filming a popular European reality show collided in a remote area near Villa Castelli in La Rioja Province, about 1,170 kilometers (730 miles) northwest of the capital city of Buenos Aires.

“An explosion occurred and it’s believed that they must have collided,” said La Rioja’s Secretary of Security Cesar Angulo.

Angulo added that a team of aeronautical experts would be sent to the site of the incident to find the cause of the crash.

La Rioja police commissary Fabian Gordillo also confirmed that two Argentinean pilots, identified as Juan Carlos Castillo and Roberto Abate, and eight French citizens, including sports stars, were the victims of the incident.

Athlete victims

Champion sailor Florence Arthaud, Olympic gold medalist swimmer Camille Muffat and Olympic boxer Alexis Vastine were among those killed in the incident.

The French nationals were part of a team producing the reality show “Dropped,” which is being broadcast across Europe.

Photographs showed the burning and smoking wreckage of the helicopters on the ground with people gathered nearby.

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