Fourteen people were killed Saturday when a plane crashed in the Brazilian Amazon as it was attempting to land in stormy weather in the tourist town of Barcelos, officials said. There were no survivors.
The pilot of the small plane approached the remote town in heavy rain and poor visibility and appeared to accidentally land halfway down the runway, Amazonas State Security Minister Vinicius Almeida said at a news conference.
The plane left the runway and crashed, killing all 12 passengers and two crew members, he said. Initial investigations revealed that the passengers were all Brazilian men who traveled to the region for sport fishing, the state government said in a statement.
“Our teams have been on scene since the moment of the crash providing necessary support,” Gov. Wilson Lima wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“My solidarity and prayers go out to the families and friends of the victims.” Media reports showed the small white plane was lying belly-down on a dirt runway with its front end crushed into the thick vegetation on the side.
The aircraft was an EMB-110, a twin-engine turboprop from the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer. It was en route from the state capital Manaus to Barcelos, a flight of about 90 minutes. Officials said two planes that approached Barcelos around the same time returned to Manaus because of the weather.
News site G1 reported that residents living near the airport were the first to arrive at the scene and helped rescue workers remove the victims’ bodies from the plane.
Television footage showed people gathering around the crash site, many standing under umbrellas in the rain, as rescue workers searched the wrecked fuselage. The Brazilian air force and police were investigating the crash, authorities said, adding that many details were still unclear.
Initial news reports said U.S. nationals were believed to be on the plane, but Amazon officials said preliminary investigations showed all of the victims were Brazilian.
Sport fishing paradise
Officials said the bodies of the victims would be brought to the state capital on Sunday for identification. It was said that an earlier arrival was not possible as take-offs and landings at night were not permitted in the region.
“An Air Force plane will leave Manaus at around 5 a.m. tomorrow with investigators and emergency officials,” Almeida said.
“We expect that tomorrow we will be able to bring the bodies to Manaus and immediately take them for forensic examination and then hand them over to the families.”
Barcelos is located on the Rio Negro, a tributary of the Amazon, and borders several national parks and other protected areas. This is peak fishing season in the region, a popular spot for catching tropical river species such as “tucunare” or peacock bass.
Mostly covered by dense rainforest, Amazon is an adventure travel destination. According to Amazonastur, the state tourism company, it receives hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.
Comments are closed.