All 62 people on board a passenger plane died when the plane crashed in near-freefall into a city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

Authorities confirmed this after the serious crash on Friday. President Lula da Silva declared a minute of silence when he was informed of the accident.

The plane crashed in the Capela neighborhood of Vinhedo, a city of about 56,000 inhabitants, on Friday afternoon. It was en route to the city of São Paulo from Cascavel. The plane was an ATR 72, a twin-engine turboprop aircraft.

The airline Voepass said there were 62 people on board, including four pilots and staff. All were confirmed dead by local authorities. 

There were no reports of deaths or injuries on the ground, despite the plane crashing into a residential area.

The plane is said to have spun before it crashed, and heavy clouds of fire and smoke are visible from the impact site. Footage in Globo News showed a fire in a private garden at the scene of the accident.

Authorities in the town of Vinhedo said late Friday that only one house in the area had been damaged in the plane crash.

The reason why the aircraft suddenly crashed has not been clarified, according to both the airline and rescue authorities. 

Seven forces were immediately dispatched to the scene of the accident, according to the rescue service. Military police and civil defense were involved in the operation, as it was feared that the plane crash could have serious consequences on the ground.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva learned of the accident while he was at an event in southern Brazil, and asked the crowd to honor the victims of the plane crash with a minute of silence.

Source: TT-DI.SE