Drama in Brazil

10 family members die in plane crash

The plane hit a residential building, a furniture store, an inn and the chimney of another building when it crashed.(Bild: Defesa Civil do Rio Grande do Sul/Divulgação)

All ten occupants of a small plane have died in a crash in the southern Brazilian city of Gramado. The victims were a businessman from São Paulo, who was at the wheel, and nine of his family members.

On the ground, 17 people were injured, two of them seriously, the governor of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, announced at a press conference on Sunday.

According to a report by the portal "G1", the crashing plane hit a residential building, a furniture store, a restaurant and the chimney of another building in the small town. The furniture store's Instagram account stated that no one was in the store at the time of the accident. "We're all fine, apart from the huge scare."

The emergency services were faced with a scene of destruction at the crash site.(Bild: Defesa Civil do Rio Grande do Sul/Divulgação)

(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot))

Crash a few minutes after take-off
According to Leite, the plane crashed at Canela airport a few minutes after take-off in the morning. Its destination was Jundiaí, a good 1000 kilometers to the north in the state of São Paulo. The cause is being investigated, said the governor. The weather had not been ideal.

Gramado is located in the Serra Gaucha mountains and is popular with Brazilian tourists who enjoy the cool weather, hiking opportunities and traditional architecture. The city is a popular place for Christmas vacations.