A tragic plane crash in São Paulo, Brazil, has claimed the lives of all 61 people on board.
According to BB, the twin-engine turboprop, operated by Voepass airline, was on a flight from Cascavel in Paraná to Guarulhos airport in São Paulo when it crashed in the town of Vinhedo.
Disturbing footage on social media captures the plane descending in a spiral before crashing.
The aircraft, an ATR 72-500, was carrying 57 passengers along with four crew members.
Unfortunately, local authorities confirmed that there were no survivors.
Brazil President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, extended his condolences to the victims’ families and friends, while São Paulo Governor Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas declared three days of mourning.
The plane crashed in a residential area, causing damage to one home, though fortunately, no one on the ground was injured.
Video footage from the scene shows a significant fire and smoking debris amidst a densely populated area.
Emergency services, including police and fire personnel, were quickly dispatched to the crash site.
According to Flightradar24, the aircraft departed Cascavel at 11:56 AM local time (14:56 GMT), and the last signal was received about an hour and a half later. Brazil’s civil aviation agency reported that the plane, which was manufactured in 2010, had been well-maintained with up-to-date registration and airworthiness certificates.
The crew members were also fully licensed and qualified.
Among the victims were two trainee doctors from the Uopeccan Cancer Hospital in Cascavel, as confirmed by BBC Brasil.
Local residents witnessed the crash, with Felipe Magalhaes describing how he saw the plane fall after hearing a loud noise. “It left me terrified,” he told Reuters.
Another witness, Nathalie Cicari, recounted hearing a noise “like a drone but much louder” and saw the plane spinning out of control.
This incident marks Brazil’s deadliest plane crash since 2007, when a TAM Express flight crashed and caught fire at São Paulo’s Congonhas airport, resulting in 199 fatalities.
President Lula, while speaking at an event, requested a minute of silence to honour the victims, stating, “I have to be the bearer of very bad news.”
He later expressed his sorrow on social media, writing, “All my solidarity to the families and friends of the victims.”
Valinhos, a nearby town, dispatched 20 emergency responders to assist at the crash site. ATR, the aircraft manufacturer, released a statement expressing their sympathies and pledged to support the ongoing investigation and their customer.
