Ten people are dead after their small plane crashed in the southern Brazilian city of Gramado on Sunday morning, officials said.
An additional 17 people were taken to regional hospitals with injuries, Gov. Eduardo Leite said at a news conference, according to a statement released by the Rio Grande do Sul State Government, the state where Gramado is located.
Two of the injured victims are in serious condition and are being transferred to Porto Alegre, the statement said. The government in Rio Grande do Sul indicated in an earlier statement that most of the injured were taken to the hospital because of smoke inhalation from the fire caused by the crash.
All 10 people who have died so far were passengers from the same family.
It was not immediately clear whether other passengers were on the plane.
The crash occurred between 9 and 10 a.m., shortly after the plane took off from Canela Airport, the governor’s office statement said. The plane slammed into the structure of a building under construction and fell into a furniture store. It also hit a hotel near the highway.
“I deeply regret the accident and highlight the immediate action of the security forces in attending to and rescuing the victims and controlling the scene of the accident. Now we need to officially identify the victims and investigate the conditions of the accident,” Leite said, according to the statement.
He said the security forces will “closely monitor the progress of this case” as the Civil Police and the Center for the Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents investigate the causes and circumstances. The General Institute of Forensics is working to identify the victims.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva shared his condolences with the families on X.
“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,” he said.
