Plane crashes in Brazil killing all 61 people on board, officials say

A passenger plane crashed in Brazil's Sao Paulo state, killing all 61 people on board, ITV Reporter Warren Nettleford has the latest

A plane carrying 61 people crashed on the outskirts of São Paulo on Friday afternoon, killing everyone on board, Brazilian officials have said.

The airline Voepass had previously said 62 people were on board, but has since confirmed the number of people on the aircraft was 61.

“The company regrets to inform that all 61 people on board flight 2283 died at the scene,” Voepass said in a statement.

There were 57 passengers and four crew were on board, according to Voepass.

Emergency responders are working at the site of the crash and an investigation is underway.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said it was not clear what caused the crash.

Map showing the departure, destination and crash sites of a Brazilian commercial airplane that crashed, killing all 61 people on board. Credit: AP

Flight tracking data shows that the the ATR 72-500, a twin-engine turboprop plane, dropped 17,000 feet in just one minute, but it is not yet clear why.

Dramatic footage from the scene showed the plane’s fall and its destroyed fuselage in flames on the ground.

Interrupting a speech at an afternoon naval event to address the crash, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called for a minute of silence to mark the deaths of the flight’s passengers and crew.

A man who was set to be on the flight, but was late, and so missed it, spoke to Brazilian TV.

He said: "The guy said I wasn't going to board any more. I argued with him, and he saved my life."

Eyewitnesses described the distressing scenes, after social media videos showed the plane spiralling out of the sky before hitting the ground.

Police stand along the street leading to the gated community where a plane crashed in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo state, Brazil. Credit: AP

One man said: "When the plane straightened out it went down, and I thought something had happened, it had run out of gas or something, so I ran out of the house and saw it falling on a couple's roof."

Another video showed the wreckage of the plane in flames on the ground.

The plane is believed to have hit multiple houses upon crashing, according to the country's Civil Defence.

According to data on Flightradar24, the Voepass plane left Cascavel and was en route to Sao Paulo when it lost signal shortly before 1.30 local time.

Brazil’s airport authority, Infraero, did not immediately confirm the information after a request from The Associated Press.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...