AFP
Brazil: 14 dead in Amazon plane crash
Fourteen people were killed Saturday in a plane crash in Barcelos, a tourist town in the Brazilian Amazon, according to authorities. The plane, a twin-engine turboprop EMB-110 manufactured by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, missed its landing in Barcelos under heavy rain, explained Amazonas State Security Secretary Vinicius Almeida during a press conference. The plane left the runway after landing too far away, killing all 12 passengers and two crew members. There are no survivors, said Mr. Almeida. According to the first elements of the investigation, the passengers were all Brazilian men who were going to the region to practice sport fishing, said the state government in a statement. “Our teams have been on the ground since the time of the accident to provide the necessary support,” wrote Governor Wilson Lima on X (formerly Twitter). “My solidarity and prayers to the family and friends of the victims,” he added. Images broadcast by Brazilian media showed the small white plane lying on its belly on a dirt runway, the front of the aircraft plunged into thick vegetation. The plane left from Manaus, the state capital, towards Barcelos, a flight of approximately 90 minutes. According to authorities, two other planes approaching Barcelos at around the same time turned back towards Manaus due to bad weather. The investigation was entrusted to the air force and the police, the authorities said. authorities.Located on the Rio Negro, a tributary of the Amazon, Barcelos is bordered by several national parks. This region is popular with sport fishermen who can, in this season, catch tropical river species such as tucunaré or “peacock bass”. According to the authorities, the bodies of the victims will be transported on Sunday to the state capital in order to ‘be identified. It was impossible to do so earlier as night takeoffs and landings were not permitted in the region.” An Air Force plane will leave Manaus tomorrow around 5 a.m. with investigators and emergency services officials, Mr. Almeida said. “We hope to be able to bring the bodies back to Manaus and immediately submit them for forensic examinations before releasing them to the families,” he said.jhb/tjj /oaa/roc/lpa
2023-09-18 15:14:58
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