Voice of America
17 Sep 2023, 16:06 GMT+10
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Fourteen people were killed Saturday when a plane crashed in the Brazilian Amazon while attempting to land in stormy weather in the popular tourist town of Barcelos. There were no survivors, officials said.
The small plane's pilot was approaching the town in heavy rain, with low visibility, and appeared to inadvertently start his landing mid-runway, Amazonas state security secretary Vinicius Almeida told a news conference.
The plane ran out of landing strip and crashed, killing all 12 passengers and two crew, he said.
Initial investigations indicated the passengers were all Brazilian men traveling to the region for sport fishing, the state government said in a statement.
'Our teams have been on the ground responding since the moment of the crash to provide the necessary support,' Governor Wilson Lima wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. 'My solidarity and prayers to the victims' family and friends.'
Media reports showed the small white plane belly-down on a dirt track, its front end crumpled into the dense vegetation to the side.
The plane was an EMB-110, a twin-engine turboprop manufactured by Brazilian aircraft-maker Embraer.
The plane was on its way from the state capital, Manaus, to Barcelos, about a 90-minute flight.
Officials said two aircraft approaching Barcelos around the same time had to turn back to Manaus because of the weather.
The Brazilian air force and police will investigate the crash, authorities said.
Initial news reports had said the U.S. nationals were believed to be on the plane, but Amazonas officials said preliminary investigations indicated all the victims were Brazilian.
Officials said the victims' bodies would be taken to the state capital Sunday to be identified.
Traveling sooner was impossible as take-offs and landings at night are not permitted in the region, they said.
'An air force aircraft will leave Manaus tomorrow around 5 a.m.' local time with investigators and emergency officials, Almeida said.
'The expectation is that tomorrow we'll be able to bring the bodies to Manaus and immediately take them for forensics and then release them to the families,' he said.
Located on the Rio Negro, an Amazon tributary, Barcelos is bordered by several national parks and other protected areas.
This is peak season for fishing in the region, a popular spot for catching tropical river species such as the 'tucunare,' or peacock bass.
Get a daily dose of Argentina Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Argentina Star.
More InformationSTRASBOURG, France: The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, has voiced the legislative body's support for appointing a United ...
MURCIA, Spain: Authorities said a nightclub fire over the weekend in the southeastern Spanish city of Murcia killed 13 people ...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: To resolve a pending litigation with the Oregon affiliate of the International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI), ...
PANAMA CITY, Panama: On September 30, the Panama Canal said that due to a drought that has reduced the supply ...
TRIPOLI, Libya: Italy and Libya resumed commercial flights for the first time in ten years on September 30, with flight ...
SAINT GEORGE, Maine: A fire destroyed several waterfront buildings in Maine on September 29, including an art gallery with several ...
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands: This week, Dutch competition regulator, the ACM, rejected an appeal by Apple against fines worth €50 million. ...
TOKYO, Japan: Tokyo-based startup Tsubame Industries has developed a four-wheeled robot that resembles the "Mobile Suit Gundam" from the popular ...
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - According to The News, the federal government is considering selling its stake in the Reko Diq project ...
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - U.S. stocks tumbled on Tuesday as interest rates on 10 and 30-year Treasury yields approached ...
DUBLIN, Ireland: The chief medical officer has issued a stark warning regarding the alarming levels of cannabis consumption in Ireland, ...
OAKLAND, California: As their current contract expires and their unions prepare to strike, Kaiser Permanente workers' representatives said, on September ...