Rio de Janeiro court authorizes cremation of Colombian helicopter crash victims

A court in Rio de Janeiro has authorized the cremation of three Colombian women who died in a helicopter crash on August 8. The victims, identified as Dayan Sofia Murillo Manrique (17), Wendy Yolani Manrique Cubillos (37), and Lida Rocio Cubillos Cardenas (59), were part of a family on a sightseeing tour.

The helicopter crashed and caught fire in a dense area of the Tijuca Forest near Vista Chinesa after departing from Jacarepaguá Airport. The pilot, Alessandro Rocha, also perished in the accident. Due to the severity of the crash, identification required dental and anthropological examinations by the Medical Legal Institute (IML) to confirm the identities of the foreign nationals.

The family intends to transport the ashes back to Colombia. Following the incident, the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) and the Rio de Janeiro municipal government implemented new measures for panoramic flights, including the suspension of operations for several companies. Investigations into the cause of the crash are being conducted by Cenipa and local police.