A helicopter flying over the Mississippi River ran into a powerline Thursday, then crashed into a barge and sparked a fire, killing two people, officials said.

Two people died when a helicopter crashed into a barge in the Mississippi River near East Alton, Illinois, north of St. Louis, on Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The Mississippi River has reopened to vessel traffic north of St. Louis after closing because a helicopter crashed into a barge on Thursday, killing two people, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Friday. The interior U.