A small plane crashed into a Brazilian town popular with tourists on Sunday, killing all 10 passengers on board and injuring more than a dozen people on the ground, Brazil’s Civil Defense Agency said.
In a post on X, the agency said the plane hit the chimney of a home and then the second floor of a nearby building before crashing into a mobile phone shop in a largely residential neighbourhood of Gramado. More than a dozen people who were on the ground were taken to hospital with injuries including smoke inhalation. Two were said to be in critical condition.
It is not immediately clear what caused the crash. Local media reported that the plane was piloted by Luiz Claudio Galeazzi, a Brazilian businessman travelling with his family to São Paulo. In a statement published on LinkedIn, Galeazzi’s company, Galeazzi & Associados, confirmed that the 61-year-old was on the plane, adding that he was travelling with his wife, their three daughters, several other family members and another company employee, who all died in the crash.
“In this moment of intense pain we are deeply thankful [for] the manifestations of solidarity and love that we have received from friends, colleagues and the community,” the statement said. “We also express our solidarity with those who have been affected by this accident in the region.”
Security cameras filmed the small Piper plane departing from Canela airport in Rio Grande do Sul, minutes before it crashed in Gramado, about 6 miles (10km) from the airport.
Gramado is located in the Serra Gaúcha mountains and is popular with Brazilian tourists who enjoy the cool weather, hiking spots and traditional architecture. The town was settled by large numbers of German and Italian immigrants in the 19th century and is a popular destination for Christmas holidays.