Tragedy in São Paulo: Bodies Recovered After 62 Perish in Devastating Brazil Plane Crash
A devastating plane crash in São Paulo, Brazil, has claimed the lives of all onboard, with recovery teams retrieving at least 21 bodies from the wreckage.
Rescue efforts continued overnight after the Voepass twin-engine turboprop plunged into the town of Vinhedo, leaving no survivors.
The death toll was updated to 62 on Saturday, marking a significant increase.
Voepass initially reported that 57 passengers and four crew members were aboard the ATR 72-500, traveling from Cascavel in Paraná to Guarulhos airport in São Paulo. However, the airline later confirmed an additional, previously unaccounted-for passenger.
Videos shared on social media captured the harrowing moment the aircraft spiraled downward before crashing.
Despite the plane crashing in a residential area, no one on the ground sustained injuries. Officials noted that only one home within a condominium complex was affected.
Capt Maycon Cristo, a spokesperson for the fire department involved in the recovery, mentioned that two victims had been identified through evidence collected from the crash site.
Identification efforts are leveraging several factors, including documentation, body positions relative to seating, and mobile phones recovered from the scene.
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Capt Cristo also stated that the bodies are being transferred to a police morgue in São Paulo.
Lt Ramatuel Silvino from the São Paulo civil defense service informed that relatives of the victims would be accommodated in a city hotel.
This tragic incident is Brazil’s deadliest plane crash since 2007 when a TAM Express aircraft crashed at São Paulo’s Congonhas airport, resulting in 199 fatalities.
The cause of the ATR 72-500 crash remains unknown at this time.
Authorities have confirmed the retrieval of the flight recorders, which will aid in the investigation.
ATR, the manufacturer of the aircraft, announced its full cooperation with the ongoing investigation.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 revealed that flight 2283 departed Cascavel at 11:56 local time (14:56 GMT) on Friday and was scheduled to land at 13:40.
The last signal from the plane was recorded about 20 minutes before its expected arrival.
Brazil’s civil aviation authority confirmed that the plane, built in 2010, was in optimal operating condition with valid registration and airworthiness certificates.
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The four crew members on board were all fully licensed and held the necessary qualifications.
Uopeccan Cancer Hospital in Cascavel informed BBC Brasil that two of their trainee doctors were among the deceased passengers.
Eyewitnesses recounted the moment of the crash, with some noting the damage caused to their homes.
Luiz Augusto de Oliveira, who witnessed the crash, told Reuters that he, his wife, and their maid were at home when “suddenly we saw the aircraft exploding in the backyard of my house.”
He recalled, “At the moment of impact, we thought it was a helicopter malfunctioning due to the noise.”
Despite the terrifying experience, Oliveira expressed gratitude that everyone in his house was unharmed, noting that the damage to their property was minimal. “I just have to thank God for the way the aircraft crashed,” he added.
Tragedy in São Paulo: Bodies Recovered After 62 Perish in Devastating Brazil Plane Crash
