All 57 passengers and four crew members perished in the crash of an aircraft on Friday in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, according to the airline.
When the Voepass airline-operated ATR 72-500 crashed near Vinhedo, it was en route from Cascavel in southern Parana state to Guarulhos international airport in Sao Paulo.
Voepass later updated the number of people on board to 57 on their website, reversing their previous claim that the aircraft was carrying 58.
A huge column of smoke was seen rising from the crash scene in what appeared to be a residential area, and images carried by local media showed a massive airliner spinning as it fell almost vertically.
“There were no survivors,” the city government in Valinhos — which was involved in the rescue and recovery operation in nearby Vinhedo — said in an to AFP.
Vinhedo, with about 76,000 residents, is located approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Sao Paulo.
Recovery of the victims’ remains for “identification” has begun and “will continue throughout the night,” Sao Paulo State Governor Tarcisio de Freitas told reporters at the scene.
A three-day period of mourning was established by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Voepass stated that it was providing the relatives of the victims of flight 2283 with full support while working with authorities to “determine the causes of the accident.”
The twin-engine turboprop aircraft departed “without any flight restrictions, with all of its systems operational,” according to the business.
The aviation accident body CENIPA in Brazil has opened an investigation.
ATR, an Airbus subsidiary and manufacturer of French-Italian aircraft, stated that its specialists were assisting the authorities.
