A passenger plane operated by Voepass crashed into a residential community in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, killing all 61 people aboard, AP News reports.
The ATR 72 twin-engine turboprop was en route to Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos airport with 57 passengers and 4 crew members. Voepass confirmed the deaths and is assisting victims’ families and cooperating with authorities to determine the cause of the crash. Emergency services, including firefighters and police, responded to the scene, confirming no survivors and recovering the plane’s black box. There were no reported casualties among local residents.
Many passengers were doctors from Parana state attending a seminar. The Brazilian Air Force and Federal Police have initiated investigations and have asked families of the victims to provide medical records to assist in identifying the bodies. The plane manufacturer, ATR, is supporting the investigation.
This incident marks the deadliest airline crash since a Yeti Airlines ATR 72 crash in Nepal in January 2023, which resulted in 72 fatalities. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared three days of mourning following the accident.
