Brazil: At least 10 people killed as small plane crashes in popular tourist town

A small plane has crashed into a popular Brazilian tourist town, killing all 10 people on board, according to officials.

More than a dozen people on the ground were also injured when the aircraft came down in the centre of Gramado in the south of the country on Sunday, Brazil‘s civil defence agency said.

In a post on X, the agency said the plane hit the chimney of a home before colliding with the second floor of a building, then crashing into a mobile phone shop in a largely residential area.

The aircraft’s owner and pilot, Luiz Claudio Galeazzi, died along with the nine other passengers on board, all of whom were members of his family, according to Rio Grande do Sul governor Eduardo Leite.

He told a press conference 17 people on the ground were injured, with 12 still receiving hospital care, including two who are in critical condition.

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The twin-engine Piper PA-42-1000 took off shortly after 9am local time from nearby Canela airport and was heading to Jundiai in Sao Paulo state under unfavourable weather conditions, the governor said.

The cause of the crash is being investigated.

Gramado, in the Serra Gaucha mountains, is the most popular tourist destination in Rio Grande do Sul.

Christmas is a particularly busy period for the city, which is traditionally adorned with decorations and hosts festive events.