Tragic Plane Crash Near São Paulo, Brazil
A passenger plane carrying a total of 62 individuals tragically crashed on Friday just outside of São Paulo, Brazil. The airline operating the flight, VoePass, confirmed the incident, stating that Flight 2283 was en route from Cascavel, Brazil, when it went down in the city of Vinhedo, not far from its intended destination.
In an official statement, VoePass noted, “There is still no confirmation regarding the circumstances of the accident or the current status of the passengers who were on board.”
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressed the somber situation during an event on Friday, requesting a moment of silence for those on the flight. “It appears that all have perished,” he remarked with deep concern.
Eyewitness videos shared on social media captured the terrifying moments leading up to the crash, showing the aircraft spiraling slowly downward before plummeting from the sky. Some footage concluded with a significant black plume of smoke rising ominously from the impact site, while other clips depicted the harrowing aftermath, featuring a destroyed aircraft and surrounding vegetation engulfed in flames.
In a dramatic turn of events, Globo, Brazil’s leading television network, interrupted its coverage of the Olympics to broadcast aerial footage that displayed firefighters battling a smoking crater in the ground, located next to the wreckage of the plane. Reports indicated that two nearby residential buildings suffered considerable damage as a result of the crash.
Vinhedo’s security secretary provided additional details, confirming that the aircraft did not collide with any structures and that there appeared to be no injuries among individuals on the ground.
According to FlightRadar24, a reputable provider of flight data, the aircraft involved in the incident was an ATR 72. This twin-engine regional jet is manufactured by ATR, a collaboration between two prominent European aerospace manufacturers, Airbus and Leonardo. Brazilian aviation records reveal that the plane was manufactured in 2010 and was certified to carry a maximum of 68 passengers.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Ana Ionova contributed reporting from Rio de Janeiro, while Niraj Chokshi reported from New York.
