Plane crash in São Paulo kills all 61 on board, airline reports

A passenger plane crashed into a gated community in Vinhedo, São Paulo, on Friday, killing all 61 people on board, according to officials and the airline Voepass. The aircraft, an ATR 72 twin-engine turboprop, was en route to São Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport with 57 passengers and 4 crew members when the accident occurred. Witnesses reported no fatalities among local residents, but the plane’s wreckage left a smoldering scene.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared three days of mourning and asked for a minute of silence at a public event. Emergency teams have recovered the plane’s black box, and no survivors were found. Preliminary reports suggest the crash might involve icing conditions, though this has not been confirmed. The crash, which is the deadliest airline accident since January 2023, involved many passengers who were doctors attending a seminar. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.