A light aircraft has crashed in the Brazilian town of Gramado, killing all 10 people aboard and hurting more than a dozen people on the ground, Brazilian officials have reported.
The plane crashed shortly after taking off on Sunday morning, according to the National Civil Defense. It hit a building’s chimney first, then struck a house, before finally crashing into a furniture shop. Some parts of the plane also damaged a nearby inn.
In the region where Gramado is located, called Rio Grande do Sul, at least 17 people were hurt. The Public Security Department said most of these people went to the hospital because they breathed in smoke from the fire caused by the crash.
The region’s Governor, Eduardo Leite, confirmed that all 10 people on the plane died. They were all from the same family, according to local officials.
Earlier, Governor Leite had mentioned that two of the injured people “seem to be in serious condition due to burns.”
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Videos from the crash site showed flames outside a building and bits of the plane scattered everywhere. The sky was grey and foggy at the time.
Officials are still looking into what caused the crash.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sent a message on X (formerly Twitter) to the victims’ families. He wrote: “I hope that the injured have a speedy recovery. The Air Force is investigating the causes of the accident and the federal government is at the disposal of the state government and local authorities to clarify the situation as soon as possible.”
Gramado is a small mountain holiday town that’s very popular with tourists, especially during Christmas when it puts on many festive events.
This crash comes just months after another tragic accident near São Paulo, where a passenger plane carrying 62 people crashed, killing everyone on board.
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