“I saw the plane crash into the house.” New information after the crash in Brazil

According to Spanish-language media, including La Nacion, the Voepass plane was carrying 58 passengers and four crew members. It was flying from Cascavel, Parana, to Guarulhos Airport, Sao Paulo. The airline confirmed that flight 2283 crashed.

There were no survivors from the crash, city officials said. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, attending a public event in the south of the country on Friday, asked the crowd to stand and observe a minute of silence.

It is not yet known what caused the crash. Officials said, however, that the plane's black box was found.

– It's too early to say anything more, but for now we have information that the plane did not communicate with the air traffic control tower, there was no information about the failure. There is no information about any complications during the flight – said Marcelo Moreno, director of the Center for the Investigation and Prevention of Aircraft Accidents, at a press conference.

– The black boxes are already in the hands of the appropriate services. I repeat, however, that it is too early to say anything more – he added.

The local fire department reported that it crashed in the city of Vinhedo at 1:25 p.m. La Nacion reports that it happened in the Capela residential area, on Edueta Street, near the Miguel Melhado de Campos highway. The plane involved was a twin-engine ATR-72-500. Emergency services, including the fire department and the Military Police, began the rescue operation.

According to local authorities, one house was damaged at the plane crash site, but no residents of the town were injured.

– When I heard the loud sound of the plane, I looked out the window and saw the plane falling, I also saw the moment it crashed. I ran out of the house and saw that the plane had fallen on the house of an elderly couple. Terrified, not knowing what to do, I tried to save them – one of the witnesses told Reuters.

Brazilian television showed footage of a fire in the crash area, showing flames and smoke billowing from what appears to be a plane fuselage. A separate shot also showed the plane falling, spiraling downward.

In a statement to the media, ATR, the plane's manufacturer, said it was aware of the Vinhedo crash. It assured that its specialists would take full part in the investigation into the crash, which will be led by the Brazilian Center for the Investigation and Prevention of Aircraft Accidents. The police have also begun an investigation.