In a devastating incident, an airplane carrying 57 passengers and four crew members crashed on Friday in Brazil's São Paulo state, resulting in the tragic loss of all lives on board. The aircraft, an ATR 72-500 operated by Voepass airline, was en route from Cascavel in Paraná state to São Paulo's Guarulhos international airport when it went down in the city of Vinhedo.
Initial reports indicated 58 passengers were on board, but Voepass later confirmed the figure as 57. Shocking images captured the plane spinning almost vertically before it plummeted into what appeared to be a residential area, sending a towering column of smoke into the sky.
"There were no survivors," the city government in Valinhos, which assisted in the rescue efforts, confirmed. The crash site, located about 80 kilometers northwest of São Paulo, has since become the focus of a recovery operation, with São Paulo State Governor Tarcisio de Freitas stating that efforts to retrieve and identify the victims will continue through the night.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has declared three days of mourning in honor of the victims. Voepass has pledged full cooperation with authorities to determine the cause of the accident and is providing support to the families affected by the disaster.
The aircraft, which had been in service since April 2010, took off without any flight restrictions and was reportedly in good operational condition. Brazil's CENIPA aviation accident agency has launched an investigation, with ATR, the plane's manufacturer, assisting in the inquiry.
Eyewitness accounts described the scene as "terrifying," with residents near the crash site recounting the horrifying moments leading up to the disaster. Nathalie Cicari, who lives nearby, told CNN Brasil that she saw the plane spinning uncontrollably before it crashed.
Despite the severity of the crash, authorities confirmed that no casualties occurred on the ground. The plane's black box has been recovered and is reportedly intact, which may provide crucial insights into the cause of the crash.
This incident marks one of the deadliest air disasters in recent Brazilian history, with CENIPA data showing that, excluding this crash, 108 aircraft accidents have occurred in Brazil this year, resulting in 49 deaths.
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