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.

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.

Two workers died when their helicopter struck power lines and crashed into a barge on the Mississippi River near East Alton, Illinois, sparking a fire and halting river traffic as investigators probe the cause.