An airplane with 57 passengers and four crew members on board crashed in Brazil's Sao Paulo, killing everyone on board. Images and videos from the spot show that the crash left flaming wreckage in a residential neighborhood.
Videos shared on social media showed the plane suddenly dropping from the sky, spiraling as it fell. It remains unclear how the accident occurred, VoePass airlines said in a statement. The last known tracking by FlightRadar24 of the plane was when it was at 4,100 feet and was approaching Sao Paulo.
Eyewitnesses described the heart-stopping moment scene as the ATR 72-500 aircraft plummeted almost vertically, spinning out of control before falling in a residential area.
Truck driver Martins Barbosa, 49, was working when he learned of the plane crash, which occurred 150 meters from his home.
"I thought it might have fallen on my house, with my son inside," he told AFP, adding he felt despondent before learning his family was okay.
Nathalie Cicari, who lives near the crash site, told CNN Brasil the impact was "terrifying."
"I was having lunch, I heard a very loud noise very close by," she said, describing the sound as drone-like but "much louder."
"I went out on the balcony and saw the plane spinning. Within seconds, I realized that it was not a normal movement for a plane."
Cicari was not hurt but had to evacuate her house, which was filled with black smoke from the crash.
"I arrived at the scene and saw many bodies on the ground -- many of them," another witness, Ricardo Rodrigues, told local Band News.
The cause of the crash remains unknown, and investigations are underway. VoePass, one of Brazil's oldest operating airlines, has pledged cooperation with authorities to determine the circumstances surrounding the accident.
The ATR 72 model, manufactured by Airbus and Leonardo SpA, generally boasts a good safety record. However, this incident marks one of the deadliest aviation disasters this year.
Recovery efforts continue, with identification of the victims' remains ongoing. The black box has been recovered, which will aid investigators in their inquiry.
VoePass initially said that 62 passengers and crew had been on the aircraft before updating the figure to 61.
