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 working on powerlines near the Mississippi River died Thursday when their helicopter hit the lines, crashed into a barge and sparked a fire that belched plumes of black smoke, officials 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.