Grim task of identifying scores of victims gets under way after passenger plane crashes into residential area of Vinhedo
11 August 2024 - 16:15
bySebastian Rocandio
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A drone view shows people working at the site of an aeroplane crash in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, August 10 2024. Picture: REUTERS/CARLA CARNIEL
Vinhedo — Brazilian emergency crews recovered the remains of at least 50 victims aboard an airliner that plunged to the ground in the town of Vinhedo, near Sao Paulo, killing all 62 on board.
The bodies of the pilot and co-pilot had been identified, Vinhedo mayor Dario Pacheco said on Saturday, adding that he expected all of the remains to have been recovered by the end of the day.
All the bodies are being moved to Sao Paulo’s police morgue.
Four people with dual citizenship were among the victims, three Venezuelans and one Portuguese woman, said regional carrier Voepass, which operated the aircraft.
The Venezuelans were a four-year-old boy, his mother and grandmother, local outlet Globo News reported. The boy’s dog was also on the flight, which the family was taking to Colombia, according to the outlet.
On Friday, Voepass said the aeroplane was carrying 57 passengers and four crew, but on Saturday the company confirmed another unaccounted-for passenger had been on the flight, putting the number of casualties at 62.
Authorities were using seat assignments, physical characteristics, documents and belongings such as cellphones to identify the victims, firefighter Maycon Cristo said at the crash site.
“Once all this evidence has been collected, we will remove the victims from the wreckage... to be transported to Sao Paulo,” he said.
Relatives of the victims were brought to Sao Paulo to provide DNA samples to aid in identification of the remains, said state civil defence co-ordinator Henguel Pereira.
The passenger aircraft’s “black box” containing voice recordings and flight data was undergoing analysis, said Marcelo Moreno, the head of Brazilian aviation accident investigation centre Cenipa.
The ATR-72 turboprop aircraft was bound for Sao Paulo from Cascavel, in the state of Parana, and crashed at about 4.30pm GMT in Vinhedo, about 80km northwest of Sao Paulo. Despite coming down in a residential area, no-one on the ground was hurt.
The aircraft was flying normally until 1.21pm, when it stopped responding to calls, and radar contact was lost at 1.22pm, Brazil’s air force said in a statement.
Pilots did not report an emergency or adverse weather conditions, the air force added.
Franco-Italian ATR, jointly owned by Airbus and Leonardo, is the dominant producer of regional turboprop jets seating 40 to 70 people. ATR said on Friday its specialists were “fully engaged” with the investigation into the crash.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Brazil plane crash: all 62 on board killed
Grim task of identifying scores of victims gets under way after passenger plane crashes into residential area of Vinhedo
Vinhedo — Brazilian emergency crews recovered the remains of at least 50 victims aboard an airliner that plunged to the ground in the town of Vinhedo, near Sao Paulo, killing all 62 on board.
The bodies of the pilot and co-pilot had been identified, Vinhedo mayor Dario Pacheco said on Saturday, adding that he expected all of the remains to have been recovered by the end of the day.
All the bodies are being moved to Sao Paulo’s police morgue.
Four people with dual citizenship were among the victims, three Venezuelans and one Portuguese woman, said regional carrier Voepass, which operated the aircraft.
The Venezuelans were a four-year-old boy, his mother and grandmother, local outlet Globo News reported. The boy’s dog was also on the flight, which the family was taking to Colombia, according to the outlet.
On Friday, Voepass said the aeroplane was carrying 57 passengers and four crew, but on Saturday the company confirmed another unaccounted-for passenger had been on the flight, putting the number of casualties at 62.
Authorities were using seat assignments, physical characteristics, documents and belongings such as cellphones to identify the victims, firefighter Maycon Cristo said at the crash site.
“Once all this evidence has been collected, we will remove the victims from the wreckage... to be transported to Sao Paulo,” he said.
Relatives of the victims were brought to Sao Paulo to provide DNA samples to aid in identification of the remains, said state civil defence co-ordinator Henguel Pereira.
The passenger aircraft’s “black box” containing voice recordings and flight data was undergoing analysis, said Marcelo Moreno, the head of Brazilian aviation accident investigation centre Cenipa.
The ATR-72 turboprop aircraft was bound for Sao Paulo from Cascavel, in the state of Parana, and crashed at about 4.30pm GMT in Vinhedo, about 80km northwest of Sao Paulo. Despite coming down in a residential area, no-one on the ground was hurt.
The aircraft was flying normally until 1.21pm, when it stopped responding to calls, and radar contact was lost at 1.22pm, Brazil’s air force said in a statement.
Pilots did not report an emergency or adverse weather conditions, the air force added.
Franco-Italian ATR, jointly owned by Airbus and Leonardo, is the dominant producer of regional turboprop jets seating 40 to 70 people. ATR said on Friday its specialists were “fully engaged” with the investigation into the crash.
Reuters
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