Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Saturday (August 10) declared a three-day state of mourning after a tragic plane crash in the São Paulo region claimed 61 lives the previous night. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the President announced the number of casualties and emphasized that the mourning period would be observed in memory of the victims.
"In memory of the 61 victims of the tragic accident in Vinhedo, we have declared three days of official mourning in the country," President Lula said.
Notably, the President first broke the news of the deadly plane crash just moments before he was scheduled to address an event. On camera, he informed the attendees of the tragic development and urged them to observe a minute of silence for the plane crash victims.
"I must be the bearer of very bad news, and I would like everyone to stand so we can observe a minute of silence because a plane just fell in the town of Vinhedo in São Paulo... and it seems that all of them passed away," he stated.
About the Plane Crash
The Voepass airline, which owned the crashed ATR 72 twin-engine turboprop, provided details on the incident that killed all 57 passengers and four crew members on board. The plane was en route to São Paulo's international airport, Guarulhos, but tragically crashed in Vinhedo.
"The company regrets to inform that all 61 people on board flight 2283 died at the site," Voepass said in a statement.
"At this time, Voepass is prioritizing the provision of unrestricted assistance to the victims' families and is fully cooperating with authorities to determine the causes of the accident," the statement added.
Meanwhile, the airline also released a flight manifest with passenger names, though no details were provided regarding the nationalities of the victims.
Investigating the Crash
Moreover, the Aviation experts said they are currently investigating the root cause of the crash. While, some have speculated that ice buildup on the plane or engine failure may have contributed to the accident, however, the others added it is still too early to determine the exact cause.
Further, Voepass Chief Operations Officer Marcel Moura also addressed the plane's condition at a press conference, noting that ice was predicted at the altitudes the plane was flying at, but within the acceptable range.
"But the plane is sensitive to ice; that could be a starting point," Moura said, adding that the plane's de-icing system, along with all other systems, had been deemed operational before takeoff.
Brazilian aviation engineer and crash investigator Celso Faria de Souza told the media that a buildup of ice could have caused the plane to stall and spiral as it did.
READ MORE | Brazil: Passenger plane carrying 62 people crashes in Sao Paulo state, all feared dead | VIDEO
