A devastating plane crash near São Paulo, Brazil, on Friday has left all 62 people on board dead, according to local authorities. The Voepass flight, which was traveling from Cascavel in Paraná to São Paulo's Guarulhos Airport, went down in a residential area in Vinhedo, a city on the outskirts of São Paulo. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Eyewitnesses described the terrifying moment when the plane, a twin-engine turboprop ATR 72, suddenly began to plummet from the sky. Social media footage captured the aircraft spiraling uncontrollably before it crashed into several homes, igniting a massive fire that sent thick smoke billowing into the air. Shocked residents could be heard shouting in panic as they watched the horrifying scene unfold.
Local emergency services quickly responded to the incident, but tragically, none of the 58 passengers and 4 crew members survived the impact. One resident in the area sustained injuries as the plane tore through the neighborhood, but there were no additional casualties on the ground.
According to ABC News, the disaster struck just before 1:30 p.m. local time, shortly after the plane lost contact with air traffic control. The wreckage, still burning hours later, was cordoned off by authorities as they began the grim task of recovery and investigation.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, visibly moved, broke the news of the crash during a public event, asking attendees to join him in a moment of silence to honor the victims. "It's a moment of great sorrow for all of us," he said, acknowledging the lives lost in the tragedy.
Residents of Vinhedo described the event as surreal and horrifying. One woman, who witnessed the plane's descent while having lunch, recounted the sheer terror as she realized the aircraft was heading straight for her neighborhood. "It was a moment of pure panic," she told CNN, recalling how she instinctively ducked for cover and began to pray.
Authorities have closed off the streets surrounding the crash site, and investigators from Brazil's civil aviation agency have been dispatched to determine what led to the plane's sudden and catastrophic failure. As the country reels from this tragedy, questions about the safety of the aircraft and the events leading up to the crash remain at the forefront.
