Devastating plane crash in São Paulo leaves two dead

At least two people have tragically lost their lives after a plane crashed and exploded in São Paulo on February 7 morning, with the wreckage igniting a fireball.

The incident occurred at approximately 7:20 am local time (10:20 am GMT) on the busy Marques de São Vicente Avenue, after the aircraft, a King Air F90, attempted an emergency landing, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

According to witnesses, the plane, which had been flying over the Barra Funda district in western São Paulo, collided with a bus, which fortunately had no passengers onboard. The crash sent a massive plume of black smoke into the sky, and the ensuing explosion was heard by those nearby.

Two charred bodies were discovered inside the plane, while two others sustained injuries. A motorcyclist, who was in the vicinity, was injured by debris, and a woman walking on the pavement was taken to hospital. Local fire crews responded rapidly to extinguish the flames, which engulfed both the aircraft and the bus.

João Lucas da Silva Amaral, a witness to the tragic event, described seeing the plane hit a tree before it began leaking kerosene. “When it hit the ground, it exploded, and we ran,” Amaral said. Another onlooker, Genival Dantas Arraes, vividly recalled the terrifying moment: "The plane came down the avenue... and I just saw everything flying and the fireball. It exploded immediately. Everyone was paralysed."

Firefighters confirmed that two people were onboard the aircraft, which had a capacity of eight. It is believed the plane had taken off from São Paulo’s Campo de Marte airport at 7:15 am, heading for Porto Alegre before its ill-fated crash.

The crash site has since been secured, and both the police and the Brazilian Air Force have launched investigations into the cause of the crash. São Paulo's Secretary of Public Security, Guilherme Derrite, stated that several emergency response teams, including military and civil police, had been deployed to assist in the aftermath of the disaster.

“The Fire Department controlled the flames,” said Derrite, adding that authorities are continuing their work to understand the full scope of the incident.

By Aghakazim Guliyev