A plane that plunged into a forest shortly after take-off has tragically killed all 12 people on board – including a 19-month-old toddler.
The victims in the horrifying tragedy were the aircraft’s two pilots, nine adult passengers and the young child.
The Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft, operated by local company ART Taxi Aereo, crashed shortly after departing the Rio Branco airport in Acre State in Brazil at around 7.20am local time on Sunday.
The plane was traveling to the small town of Envira in Amazonas State when it suddenly plunged from the sky.
In one video, the mangled wreckage is seen on fire in a forest area.
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Firefighters fought for four hours to bring the flames under control because the crash site was difficult to reach, according to fire chief Francisca Fragoso.
Police spokesperson Mario Sandro Martins said: “The situation was very difficult. The plane collided with trees, exploded and the bodies were charred, it was very difficult to remove them.
“We will analyze each case. We will meet with the genetics laboratory, the Institute of Forensic Medicine, criminal investigators, and experts and we will analyze them in the best way possible.”
All 12 of those who perished in the plane crash were later formally identified by authorities.
They were named by state authorities as pilot Cláudio Atílio Mortari, co-pilot Kleiton Lima Almeida, and Ana Paula Melo and her toddler daughter Clara Maria Monteiro.
The other passengers were identified as Antônio Cleudo Epifânio, Edineia de Lima, Jamilo Maciel, José Marcos Epifânio, Alexsander Bezerra, Francisco (surname not yet confirmed), Raimundo Nonato Melo, and Antonia Elizangela.
The authorities said in a statement: “The government of the state of Acre expresses our solidarity with the families of the passengers, pilot and co-pilot who were on board the aircraft.”
Thiago Abreu, lawyer for ART Taxi Aereo, said that both the pilot and co-pilot were well-trained and had a great deal of experience.
The National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC) said the plane was in good condition before take off. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
