Sao Paulo: A plane carrying 61 people crashed near Sao Paulo in Brazil on Friday, killing all on board, Brazilian regional airline Voepass has said in a statement.
The aircraft crashed in Vinhedo in Sao Paulo state and reportedly fell into a residential area. Officials said that one home in the local condominium complex has been damaged. However, none of the residents were hurt.
The small twin-engine plane had taken off from the city of Cascavel in the southern Brazilian state of Parana, headed for the international airport in Sao Paulo, the BBC reported. Previously, it was believed 62 people had perished on board the aeroplane that went down but the airline later updated the death toll to 61.
#Breaking Following reports of a Voepass ATR 72 that crashed in Vinhedo (São Paulo, Brazil). No info so far on casualties. Updates when possible. Updates when possible. Source @aero_in pic.twitter.com/LcdGSBfCB9
— Air Safety #OTD by Francisco Cunha (@OnDisasters) August 9, 2024
A plane en route from Cascavel to Guarulhos has crashed in São Paulo, Brazil, killing 70 people. Initial reports indicate the aircraft spiraled downward before impact. New footage shows Voepass Flight 2283 crashing into homes in Vinhedo, with the number of victims still unknown. https://t.co/SlZvlgCxzZ pic.twitter.com/P06YMHhBUZ
— BigBreakingWire (@BigBreakingWire) August 9, 2024
Airline Issues Statement
“The company regrets to inform that all 61 people on board Flight 2283 died at the scene,” Voepass said in a statement. According to the airline, there were 57 passengers on board and four crew members. “At this time, Voepass Linhas Aereas prioritises providing unrestricted assistance to the families of the victims and effectively collaborating with the authorities to investigate the causes of the accident,” it added.
The maker of the aeroplane that crashed, ATR, has said its specialists are fully engaged to support the investigation into what caused the crash.