The incident occurred in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, on Friday, April 3
NEED TO KNOW
- A small plane crashed into a restaurant located in a residential area of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, on Friday, April 3
- At least four people died due to the incident, which occurred shortly after takeoff from Capão da Canoa Airport
- Footage posted on social media shows the plane narrowly missing pedestrians and cyclists before crashing and exploding into a fireball
At least four people are dead after a plane crashed into a restaurant in Brazil.
At around 10:30 a.m. local time on Friday, April 3, a Piper Malibu aircraft crashed into the Dom Inácio restaurant in Capão da Canoa, on the coast of Rio Grande do Sul, after taking off from Capão da Canoa Airport bound for São Paulo, according to Brazilian news outlets G1 and Terra Brasil.
All four passengers on the plane were killed, per the Aviation Safety Network.
The aircraft “lost altitude and hit a restaurant that was closed,” the Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul said in a statement, per Terra Brasil. “[We] arrived immediately at the scene of the incident and evacuated neighboring residences and isolated the area."
“Teams are investigating the victims who were on board the aircraft, both crew and passengers,” the Civil Defense added.
Credit: Ascom Defesa Civil
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The four victims of the crash have since been identified as businesspeople Déborah Belanda Ortolani and Luis Antonio Ortolani, and the pilots, Nelio Maria Batista Pessanha and Renan Eduardo Saes, per G1.
The six-seater plane was owned by the company Jetspeed Holding Ltda, according to Terra Brasil. The aircraft is believed to have collided with a pole near the end of the runway at the airport, before crashing into the restaurant directly opposite.
The restaurant was empty at the time of the crash and no ground injuries have been reported, G1 reported, citing Lieutenant Sabrina Ribas, Communications Coordinator for the Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul.
Aviation news outlet Aeroin posted footage on X of the moment the plane appeared to be flying low before crashing into the restaurant. A huge fireball formed that narrowly missed pedestrians and cyclists in the area.
Credit: Ascom Defesa Civil
The Military Police and Fire Department responded to the scene and evacuated residents from the area. The General Institute of Forensics and the Municipality of Capão da Canoa were also at the scene.
Rio Grande do Sul state governor Eduardo Leite shared his condolences on Instagram.
“The accident area has already been evacuated by Civil Defense, preserving the surrounding residents, and remains under control with the action of the Military Fire Department and the Military Brigade," he wrote in the translated statement. "I have ordered the full commitment of the teams in responding to the incident.”
“I would like to express my solidarity with the families of the victims and the community of Capão da Canoa in the face of this sad event,” he added.
PEOPLE has contacted the Military Fire Department, Civil Defense, Capão da Canoa Airport, Dom Inácio restaurant and Jetspeed Holding Ltda for comment.
Read the full article here
