Tragic Plane Crash Near São Paulo Claims 62 Lives

São Paulo, The Gulf Observer: A regional turboprop plane carrying 62 people crashed near São Paulo, Brazil, on Friday, killing everyone on board, according to local officials near the crash site. The aircraft, an ATR 72-500 operated by the airline Voepass, was en route from Cascavel in Paraná to São Paulo’s main international airport when it went down in the town of Vinhedo, approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of São Paulo.

Video footage shared on social media captured the horrifying moment the plane, reportedly spinning out of control, plunged behind a cluster of trees near residential homes. The crash was followed by a large plume of black smoke rising from the site.

City officials in Valinhos, near the crash site, confirmed that there were no survivors. Remarkably, only one home in the nearby condominium complex sustained damage, and no residents were injured.

“I have to be the bearer of really bad news,” stated President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during an event shortly after the crash. He called for a minute of silence to honor the victims.

Voepass, the airline operating the flight, reported that the aircraft had taken off from Cascavel earlier in the day. The cause of the crash remains unknown, and the airline could not provide additional details at this time. The plane carried the registration PS-VPB.

In response to the accident, São Paulo’s state fire brigade deployed seven crews to the crash site to assist with the emergency.

The aircraft, an ATR 72-500 turboprop, was manufactured by ATR, a company jointly owned by Airbus and the Italian aerospace group Leonardo. ATR has not yet commented on the incident.

This tragic event has sent shockwaves through Brazil as the nation mourns the loss of the passengers and crew involved in the crash.