Murillo was traveling with her mother, Wendy Manrique, 37, and grandmother, Rocio Cubillos, 59. The helicopter went down near Vista Chinesa, a scenic overlook inside Tijuca National Park, on August 8. The pilot, Alessandro Rocha, also died in the crash. According to Brazilian media, Murillo and her family were visiting Rio de Janeiro on vacation from Colombia. They had booked a scenic helicopter ride to view landmarks including Christ the Redeemer from the air. The four-seat helicopter, operated by Voo Rio Panorâmico, departed around 11 am local time. Shortly afterwards,
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The pilot, Alessandro Rocha, also died in the crash.
According to Brazilian media, Murillo and her family were visiting Rio de Janeiro on vacation from Colombia. They had booked a scenic helicopter ride to view landmarks including Christ the Redeemer from the air.
The four-seat helicopter, operated by Voo Rio Panorâmico, departed around 11 am local time. Shortly afterwards, it crashed into a forested area near Vista Chinesa in Alto da Boa Vista.
The impact sparked a fire that spread across the hillside. Firefighters responded at approximately 11:11 am. But rescue operations proved difficult because of the rugged terrain. Military personnel later helped contain the fire.
Murillo's uncle, Victor Manrique, told Brazilian media outlet g1 that he, his wife and their 15-year-old daughter had planned to board a second helicopter after the first flight returned.
Instead, the family learned about the crash through news reports while still waiting at the airport.
"They were supposed to return after a 20-minute sightseeing flight," family members told local media.
Authorities have not yet determined what caused the helicopter to crash.
Brazil's Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) and Rio de Janeiro Civil Police are investigating the incident.
According to g1, a lawyer representing Voo Rio Panorâmico said the helicopter company had all required operating permits, the aircraft's maintenance was current, and the pilot held the appropriate licences.
The investigation is still in its early stages, g1 reported.
Her last TikTok post came on August 5, three days before the crash. She uploaded a TikTok video showing part of her gym workout routine.
"I'm going to miss your tips. You helped boost my self-esteem," another fan commented under her last TikTok post.
Shirin Gupta is a content producer with the Hindustan Times. She covers everything between politics, entertainment and sports at the US desk. Shirin got interested in political journalism during her time as a web editor at her college newspaper NCC News in Syracuse when she first started seeing the effects of national politics in life of her fellow colleagues. Shirin has worked on a wide range of fast-moving and developing stories locally when she was at NCC editing accessible reports for the audience. Her current role requires her to track real-time updates, verify information and present balanced coverage across diverse beats. Covering US politics from an international newsroom perspective has further deepened her understanding of how domestic decisions can have far-reaching global consequences. With a keen interest in international affairs, Shirin continues to build her expertise in geopolitics, policy shifts, and cross-border developments. She aims to learn and evolve her reporting in matters of geopolitics and international issues. Outside the newsroom Shirin writes about books and music for her personal blog. She is an avid consumer of pop culture and reveres literature.Read More