Passenger Plane Crash in Brazil Kills All 61 on Board

AFP/APP

Brazil: An airplane carrying 57 passengers and four crew members crashed Friday in Brazil’s São Paulo state, resulting in the deaths of everyone on board, according to the airline.

The aircraft, an ATR 72-500 operated by Voepass airline, was traveling from Cascavel in southern Paraná state to São Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport when it crashed in the city of Vinhedo. Initially, Voepass reported that the plane was carrying 58 passengers, but later revised the figure to 57.

Local media broadcast images showing the plane spinning as it plummeted almost vertically, with other footage capturing a large column of smoke rising from the crash site, which appeared to be in a residential area.

“There were no survivors,” stated the city government of Valinhos, which assisted in the rescue and recovery operation in nearby Vinhedo.

Vinhedo, with approximately 76,000 residents, is located about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of São Paulo. The recovery of the victims’ remains for identification has begun and will continue throughout the night, as reported by São Paulo State Governor Tarcisio de Freitas.

In response to the tragedy, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has declared three days of mourning.

Voepass has pledged to cooperate with authorities to determine the causes of the accident and is providing full assistance to the victims’ families. The plane, a twin-engine turboprop, had taken off “without any flight restrictions, with all its systems operational,” according to the company.

Brazil’s CENIPA aviation accident agency has launched an investigation, and ATR, a Franco-Italian aircraft maker and Airbus subsidiary, has sent experts to assist with the investigation.