Brazil

A regional turboprop plane carrying 62 people crashed near São Paulo, Brazil, on Friday, resulting in the deaths of all on board, according to local officials at the crash site. Video footage shared on social media showed the ATR-made aircraft spiraling out of control before crashing behind a cluster of trees near residential homes, followed by a large plume of black smoke. Officials in Valinhos, close to the town of Vinhedo where the crash occurred, confirmed that there were no survivors. Remarkably, only one home in a local condominium complex was damaged, and no residents were injured. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressed the nation shortly after the incident, expressing his deep sorrow and requesting a moment of silence for the victims. The airline, Voepass, reported that the aircraft had taken off from Cascavel, Paraná, and was en route to São Paulo’s main international airport when it crashed approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of São Paulo, in Vinhedo. Voepass, which operates the plane registered as PS-VPB, stated that they were unable to provide further details regarding the cause of the crash. In response to the accident, São Paulo’s state fire brigade quickly dispatched seven crews to the crash site. The aircraft was identified by flight tracker FlightRadar24 as an ATR 72-500 turboprop, a model produced by ATR, which is jointly owned by Airbus and Italian aerospace group Leonardo. ATR has yet to comment on the incident.