(Reuters) – A small plane with 10 people aboard crashed into shops in the center of the tourist city of Gramado in southern Brazil on Sunday, civil defense officials said, and initial reports indicated that there were no survivors.
“Unfortunately, initial reports indicate that the aircraft’s occupants did not survive,” Governor Eduardo Leite said in a post on social media platform X.
According to the public security office of Rio Grande do Sul state, at least 15 people were taken to the city’s hospital, most of them suffering from smoke inhalation caused by the fire triggered by the crash.
The plane reportedly first struck the chimney of a building, then the second floor of a house, before crashing into a furniture store, authorities said. Debris also reached a nearby inn.
Nestled in a mountainous region, Gramado is the most popular tourist destination in Rio Grande do Sul, which was severely impacted earlier this year by unprecedented floods that claimed dozens of lives, destroyed infrastructure and significantly disrupted the state’s economy.
The accident occurred just days before Christmas, a particularly busy period for the city, which is traditionally adorned with decorations and hosts festive events.
(Reporting by Marcela Ayres; Editing by Mark Porter)
