Fourteen people died on Saturday when a plane crashed while trying to land in the middle of a storm in the Brazilian tourist town of Barcelos, in the state of Amazonas (northern), authorities reported.
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The pilot of the small aircraft was approaching the town under heavy rain and with poor visibility, and tried to inadvertently descend in the middle of the runway, the security secretary of Amazonas, Vinicius Almeida, said at a press conference.
All twelve passengers and two crew members on board perished in the accident, the state governor, Wilson Lima, had previously written on X (formerly Twitter).
I deeply regret to death two 12 passengers and two crew members, victims of the plane crash that occurred this Saturday, in Barcelona. Our teams are working, from the very beginning, to provide the necessary support. To family and friends, minha solidarity and prayers.
— Wilson Lima (@wilsonlimaAM) September 16, 2023
Initial investigations indicate that the passengers were all Brazilian men traveling to practice sport fishing, the local government added in a bulletin.
Media showed the small white plane fallen on a dirt road, with its front end crushed against dense vegetation.
It is an EMB-110, a twin-engine turboprop built by the Brazilian manufacturer Embraer, which was traveling from Manaus, the state capital, to Barcelos, a flight of an hour and a half.
Located on the Rio Negro, a tributary of the Amazon, the town is surrounded by natural parks and protected areas.
The authorities reported that two planes that were approaching Barcelos at the same time returned to Manaus due to weather conditions.
The Air Force and police will investigate the accident, according to the local government, which added that many details remained unclear.
According to the first reports, it was believed that American citizens were traveling on the plane, but the Amazonas authorities indicated that, according to preliminary investigations, all the victims were Brazilians.
With AFP
Source: France 24
