A tragic plane crash in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state on Friday claimed the lives of all 58 passengers and four crew members on board, according to local officials. The aircraft, an ATR 72-500 manufactured in France and operated by the airline Voepass, was en route from Cascavel in Parana state to Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos international airport when it went down in the city of Vinhedo.
Grim footage aired by a private news outlet showed the plane plummeting at a high speed before crashing, with a massive column of smoke rising from what appeared to be a residential area at the crash site.
“There were no survivors,” confirmed the Valinhos city government in an email sent to AFP. Valinhos, which was involved in the rescue and recovery efforts, is located near Vinhedo.
Vinhedo, a city with a population of around 76,000, lies approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Sao Paulo. Before an official death toll was released, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, speaking at an event in Itajai, Santa Catarina state, remarked on the apparent loss of life. “A plane just crashed in the city of Vinhedo in Sao Paulo, with 58 passengers and four crew members, and it seems that everyone died,” he stated during his speech.
Voepass confirmed the incident in a statement, referring to it as “an accident involving flight 2283.” The airline noted that details about the cause of the crash were still unknown.
Sao Paulo’s fire department provided an update on social media platform X, stating, “Aircraft crash, 7 teams involved, so far only this information.”
Nathalie Cicari, a resident living near the crash site, described the impact as “terrifying” in an interview with CNN Brasil. “I was having lunch when I heard a very loud noise, incredibly close,” she said, comparing the sound to that of a drone but “much louder.”
According to the aviation website planespotters.net, the ill-fated aircraft had its first flight in April 2010.
