- 62 dead after plane crash in residential area
An airplane carrying 62 people has crashed into a residential area in Vinhedo, a city in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. None of the passengers survived the crash, which occurred on Friday afternoon local time, according to the city administration. The airline, VoePass, confirmed that there were 58 passengers and four crew members on board.
The aircraft was traveling from Cascavel in the state of Paraná to Guarulhos in São Paulo. Guarulhos International Airport is the largest airport in Brazil. Tragically, this is not the first time this type of aircraft has been involved in a fatal crash. In Nepal, around 19 months ago, dozens of people also lost their lives in a crash involving the same aircraft type.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva asked those present at an event in the south of the country to observe a minute of silence. "This is very sad news. My deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of the victims," he posted on the X platform.
The plane crashed onto a plot of land in a residential complex
The news portal "G1" reported, citing local authorities, that the plane crashed near a house where residents were present. However, no one on the ground was injured.
An eyewitness who recorded a video of the burning plane told the UOL news channel, "I've never heard a noise like that in my life."
Firefighters are at the scene with rescue teams. Hospitals in Vinhedo are on high alert. In addition to the firefighters, the civil defense and police are also involved, according to "G1".
Images and videos on social media show a plane spiraling out of control and falling from the sky, followed by thick smoke. Data from the Flightradar 24 platform suggests that the plane lost nearly 4,000 meters in altitude in less than a minute.
The Governor of São Paulo, Tarcisio de Freitas, said, "My solidarity is with all the victims and those affected by this tragedy." He promised all necessary support.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation. The airline, VoePass, said in an initial Instagram post that it could not yet comment on the cause. The Brazilian Federal Police has launched an investigation into the accident. According to "G1", the police have set up a crisis center at the home of a resident in the gated community where the tragedy occurred.
This accident is one of the deadliest in Brazilian aviation history, according to the UOL news portal.
Many will remember the crash of November 28, 2016, when a plane carrying the Brazilian football club Chapecoense crashed on its way to Medellín, Colombia, for the final of the Copa Sudamericana. Seventy-one people died, including almost all the players, as well as coaches, staff, and accompanying journalists. Six passengers survived.
The aircraft involved in Friday's crash was a turboprop passenger plane of the ATR 72 type, a shoulder-wing aircraft produced by the French-Italian consortium Avions de Transport Régional. In January 2023, 72 people, including four crew members, died when an ATR 72-500 crashed while attempting to land at Pokhara International Airport in Nepal.
Firefighters are actively extinguishing the fire caused by the plane crash.After the crash, the need for firefighting services became immediately apparent.
