SAO PAULO, Brazil – A tragic incident unfolded in Sao Paulo on Friday morning as a small aircraft crashed onto an avenue shortly after departing from a nearby private airport, leading to the loss of at least two passengers, according to the local firefighter corps. The crash occurred in the bustling Barra Funda neighborhood on the west side of the city, close to downtown, causing additional injuries to a woman in a bus and a motorcyclist who were struck by debris from the wreckage.
Emergency responders swiftly arrived at the scene to provide medical assistance to those affected, with four more individuals sustaining minor injuries and being transported to hospitals in the area. The identities of the two individuals who lost their lives in the crash are yet to be disclosed by officials. Video footage captured by local media outlet TV Globo depicted the harrowing moment when the aircraft collided with the avenue, just beyond an intersection where vehicles were halted.
Witnesses observed the plane’s fuselage engulfed in flames along with the bus, while firefighters diligently worked to extinguish the fire. Notably, the site of the crash is situated among office buildings and in close proximity to a major bus, train, and subway station. Authorities have not provided any details regarding the cause of the aircraft losing altitude and impacting the avenue merely 3 miles away from its point of departure at the private airport, where it was en route to Porto Alegre in the southern Rio Grande do Sul state.
The local community in Sao Paulo was shaken by the tragic event, prompting a swift response from emergency personnel who secured the area and conducted investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash. As the affected individuals receive medical treatment and the wreckage is cleared from the avenue, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent risks associated with air travel and the importance of stringent safety protocols to prevent such catastrophic occurrences in the future.