Shocking footage has emerged online which appears to show the moment two helicopters crashed in Argentina, claiming the lives of three French sports stars.
The aircraft, filming a reality show called Dropped, collided before hitting the ground close to the town of Villa Castelli near the Andes mountains.
Victims included swimmer Camille Muffat, 25, who won gold at the London Olympics in 2012, boxer Alexis Vastine, 28, and champion sailor Florence Arthaud, 58. Five members of the TV show’s production staff and two Argentine pilots also died.
In the clip, two helicopters can be seen flying close to one another above a tree line. They converge on each other before plunging to the ground.
It is still not clear what could have caused the crash.
The footage was aired this morning on TV news channels in Argentina.
France declared a state of national mourning in the wake of the deaths.
Former Arsenal star Sylvain Wiltord, 40, was also a competitor in the show but was not involved in the crash. He tweeted early this morning: “I am sad for my friends, I’m trembling, I’m horrified, I have no words, I don’t want to say anything.”
French President François Hollande said he viewed the deaths “with immense shock and emotion”. Prime Minister Manuel Valls expressed “immense sadness”, saying “the whole of France is in mourning”.
