U.S. Coast Guard announced on Friday that the Mississippi River is now open to vessel traffic north from St. Louis. It had been closed because of a helicopter crash on Thursday which killed two people.

According to the Coast Guard, the interior U.S. River, which is a major shipping route for crops and goods, was reopened Thursday night near Alton in Illinois. However, the Coast Guard has set up a safety zone extending 450 feet away from the shoreline between mile markers 199.5 and 200.5.

Safety zones are areas where vessels can't enter.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Thursday that two people were on the helicopter when it crashed. The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation. (Reporting and editing by Franklin Paul, Tom Polansek)

(source: Reuters)