Brazilian Plane Crash Leaves 61 Dead in São Paulo State
New Delhi: A devastating plane crash in the Brazilian state of São Paulo has claimed the lives of all 61 people on board. The twin-engine turboprop aircraft, an ATR 72-500 operated by Voepass airline, was en route from Cascavel in Paraná to Guarulhos Airport in São Paulo when it crashed in the town of Vinhedo. The plane was carrying 57 passengers and four crew members, and local authorities have confirmed that there were no survivors.
Footage shared on social media shows the plane descending vertically, spiraling out of control before it crashed into a residential area. Fortunately, no one on the ground was injured, though one home in a local condominium complex was damaged. Emergency services, including police and fire personnel, quickly responded to the scene, where large areas were engulfed in flames and smoke.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his condolences to the families and friends of the victims, calling the news “very sad.” São Paulo’s state Governor, Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas, declared three days of mourning in response to the tragedy.
The plane’s flight recorders have been recovered, and ATR, the French-Italian manufacturer of the aircraft, has pledged full cooperation with the investigation. According to Brazil’s civil aviation agency, the plane was in good operating condition with all necessary certifications, and the crew members were fully licensed.
This crash is Brazil’s worst aviation disaster since 2007, when a TAM Express plane crashed at São Paulo’s Congonhas airport, killing 199 people.
FOLLOW FOR MORE.
